The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) launched its Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) last month, when it published a request for information (RFI), saying the programme’s 30-year lead time is aligned with government’s National Infrastructure Plan 2050 and will be rolled across various DPWI-managed buildings up to 2050.

The iREREP’s RFI is intended to test the market for additional ideas and comprehensive information on ways to deliver mutual value through strong partnerships between government and the private sector, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille said.

Also known as the Photovoltaic (PV) and Water Savings on Government Buildings Programme, this initiative was gazetted as a Strategic Integrated Project in July 2020 as part of a credible pipeline of projects in the Infrastructure Investment Plan, which was approved by Cabinet in May 2020.

Recent studies into the DPWI’s property portfolio estimate yearly electricity and water consumption at 4 021 GWh and 39-billion litres respectively, equating to an average yearly expenditure of R2.4-billion for electricity and R1.8-billion for water.

In addition, DPWI properties generate about 822-million tonnes of waste a year.

Objectives

Over the 30 years of its implementation, the programme will result in savings and revenue exceeding R401-billion, which can be “re-allocated to other government priorities”, and make a direct contribution to South Africa’s gross domestic product of R253-billion.

As a result of implementing the iREREP, the department says 3 800 new small businesses will be developed, 146 000 jobs created and more than 117 000 people taught new skills.

The iREREP is also envisaged to reduce the DPWI’s energy use intensity by 22% to 45%, while reducing water consumption by 30% to 55%.

A reduction in waste and the diversion of 50% of currently generated waste from landfill sites is expected to save 12-million tonnes from reaching landfills, while the programme is also expected to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas emissions from the DPWI’s buildings by over 54.5-million tonnes.

“Through this RFI process, the [DPWI] will be able to gain additional market insights that will drive the implementation of the programme, as well as provide an understanding of the appetite and readiness of the market to participate in this programme,” De Lille said.

She added that the opportunity presented through the iREREP would also enable the DPWI to obtain a high-level understanding of enhanced technical solutions that are available in the market.

De Lille noted the RFI was also aimed at enabling the DPWI to understand the financing needs of entities that would be interested in participating in the programme and at supporting the department in the design of a future request for proposal (RFP), expected to be launched in January next year.

Thus far, the iREREP has received National Treasury approval for Phase 1 and has been registered to be implemented in collaboration with the private sector on a full design, finance, build, operate and transfer basis.

De Lille said the private sector would be fully responsible for both the technical and financing aspects of implementing the programme.

Having the private sector involved in this way “seeks to fully leverage public- and private-sector partnership, spurring on South Africa’s thriving private-sector infrastructure investment sector, supported by an efficient and reliable public-sector procurement framework that delivers world-class procurement on budget,” the Minister said.

The RFI will be open for 30 days, after which an RFI evaluation is expected to be concluded by November 15.

Thereafter, the obtained information will be fed into the DPWI’s RFP documents – the drafting of which De Lille said had already started.