The Nelson Mandela Bay Metropolitan Municipality (NMBMM) which includes the city of Port Elizabeth, in the Eastern Cape has launched an integrated programme of renewable energy projects, in a bid to counter electricity shortages in the region.

A consortium of companies, led by empowered firm Lereko Sustainability and the State-owned Central Energy Fund will be rolling out projects aimed at cutting down electricity consumption, installing solar water heaters and generating power from landfill and sewerage gas.

Future projects could also include a wind farm and hydro-electricity generation plant.

Power shortages in the eastern cape have resulted in load shedding, which has affected businesses and households.

The current NMBMM demand of 610 MW is expected to increase to between 2 500 and 3 000 MW in the next ten years.

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