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Offshore wind offers decarbonisation solution for South Africa

8th October 2021

By: Tasneem Bulbulia

Senior Contributing Editor Online

     

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A number of energy experts, academics and researchers view offshore wind as the answer to help South Africa decrease its carbon emissions by over 40% by 2025.

“The wind market in South Africa is currently focussed on onshore wind, because we have the land space available and it is cost competitive, which means almost all of our members are developing onshore wind.

“Although we don't think we will see the first offshore development in the country until 2030, it is certainly an area worth investigating, which is why we’ve included this in our Windaba discussion.

“Good wind sites will be taken up during the next decade as we build 14.4 GW of wind power [capacity] and this is a good prompt for investigation into offshore wind to begin now. We have seen an increased focus from academia on this topic and, as an industry, we support it and look forward to the outcomes, said industry organisation South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) chairperson Mercia Grimbeek.

Addressing delegates at the 2021 Windaba Conference, in Cape Town, this week, Scottish Development International Energy (South Africa) senior international trade specialist Laura Peinke said she saw huge potential for South Africa in this untapped energy resource.

“South Africa’s coastline needs to be recognised as a valuable energy resource, but it also needs to balance environmental and marine protection.

“The development of offshore wind is only viable if all parties, including national government, environmental bodies, industry bodies such as SAWEA and the Global Wind Energy Council, and of course universities and research institutions to name a few, work together,” she noted.

She explained that regulatory frameworks would need to address environmental and marine policies, as well as licensing requirements, to ensure South Africa’s energy infrastructure could accommodate offshore wind.

Looking at the global market, especially the UK and Europe, offshore wind was the preferred and often only option, owing to land ownership structures and a lack of viable onshore land options, among other reasons, Peinke noted.

“I think offshore wind is definitely one of the renewable sources that South Africa could include as part of a diversified energy mix but acknowledge that it is not a simple process given South Africa doesn’t have an existing focus for offshore wind.

“I also think one must look at the reasons for why offshore wind has taken off in international markets, apart from the obvious energy generation potential,” she added.

She pointed to recent research on offshore wind energy by the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering at Stellenbosch University by academics Gordon Rae and Dr Gareth Erfort as being encouraging.

The research identifies six suitable regions for the development of offshore wind infrastructure and indicates that deep water turbines could potentially satisfy the country’s yearly electricity demand eight times over.

Moreover, Peinke said there was a clear indication that there was an appetite for investment in this energy market, especially from the UK and Europe.

Notably, Peinke said offshore wind had the potential to provide additional economies of scale for South Africa’s manufacturing and supply chain, as well as increased employment opportunities.

Windaba is Scottish Development International’s first renewables-focused conference on the African continent, with a large delegation incorporating ten Scottish companies, joining the event.

Edited by Chanel de Bruyn
Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor Online

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