South Africa’s renewable energy sector has reached an important inflection point. For more than a decade, the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has demonstrated that renewable energy can work in South Africa, technically, financially and operationally.
From Bid Window 7 (BW7), however, REIPPPP represents something different.
It is no longer about proving the viability of renewables. It is about whether South Africa can successfully deliver the next phase of the energy transition at scale.
Over seven bid windows, REIPPPP has evolved into one of the most respected renewable procurement programmes in the developing world. Since inception, the programme has procured more than 7 GW of renewable energy capacity and mobilised well over R240-billion in private sector investment into South Africa’s energy sector.
More importantly, it has established a globally credible public-private partnership model capable of attracting both international and local capital into South Africa’s infrastructure sector.
