Gauteng Business 2016 edition

OVERVIEW
Green economy
South Africa is without doubt the premier energy innovator of Africa, with renewable
energy projects streets ahead of the developing world, as South Africans explore the
many sustainable options for a better, and certainly brighter future.
in Gauteng, while solar panels are
already being used by many state
buildings in the city centre, showing
government’s commitment to
the green economy.
Gas development
One of the main drivers of renewable energy development
has been the Renewable Energy Independent Power
Project Procurement Program (REIPPPP), which, through
serious investment from the Development Bank of South
Africa, together with Independent Power Producers has forged ahead
with numerous wind, gas and solar project in this energy rich area.
Gauteng has seen a rise in roof-top solar, with business generating
their own electricity, while putting the power back in their own hands,
after a debilitating spell of load-shedding in 2015, which appears to be
under control in 2016 with new management at Eskom.
At a residential level solar water heaters are being rolled out to
municipalities and solar street and traffic lights were being introduced
The Bronkhorstspruit Biogas Plant
in Gauteng is the first commercially
viable biogas project in South
Africa, and powers directly into
the national grid. An independent
commercial enterprise with
an initial life cycle of 20 years, it
will contribute to diversifying the
South African energy mix away
from coal. The project has resulted
in the creation of long-term
direct and indirect employment
in peri-urban South Africa, which
currently experiences high levels
of unemployment.
Meanwhile, Natural gas
Company, Egoli Gas launched its
eight kilometre pipeline, which
will initially deliver 1.5-million
gigajoules of natural gas per year.
The natural gas will be imported
from Mozambique by Sasol and
at full capacity the pipeline will
be able to deliver 2.5-million gigajoules
yearly. The pipeline will run
from Sasol’s pressure reducing
station in Robertsville to MTN’s
14th Avenue Campus, and the gas
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