The 2024 South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey (SAREGS), released last week by Eskom, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA), and the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA), has revealed that a record 133 gigawatts (GW) of contracted renewable energy capacity is currently in the development pipeline in South Africa.
The results of SAREGS were presented by the strategic grid planning manager at Eskom’s National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), Ronald Marais, during a webinar co-hosted by Sawea, Sapvia, and Eskom NTCSA.
The new record of 133GW of contracted projects in the development phase represents a 100% surge from last year’s record 66GW. Wind energy represents 48GW of the total renewable energy projects in the pipeline, a substantial 60% growth from last year’s levels.
Additionally, 60 GW of these projects are expected to come online within three to five years. Participation in the survey more than doubled, reaching 483 contributions, while the projected installed capacity of all renewable energies surged from 93.3 GW to 172.4 GW.
SAREGS, currently in its third year, has become an essential tool for aligning South Africa’s renewable energy development pipeline with grid planning and investment.
According to SAWEA, SAREGS findings will be pivotal in shaping South Africa’s future grid infrastructure, directly influencing grid capacity planning, Grid Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA), and Transmission Development Plan (TDP) initiatives.
“The survey reveals a substantial growth in wind energy projects, with over 48 GW in various stages of development – a significant increase from 30 GW in 2023,” explains Santosh Sookgrim, Senior Technical Advisor at SAWEA.
“Furthermore, the survey shows an expansion of wind energy projects in new regions such as KwaZulu-Natal and additional areas in the highveld, including in Mpumalanga. This marks a significant positive step forward in the just energy transition and is expected to drive socio-economic growth in these regions,” added Sookgrim.
“Wind energy remains a critical component of South Africa’s renewable energy strategy and plays a significant role in the country’s energy mix as we move towards a low-carbon, and energy secure future,” Sookgrim concluded.
