Harnessing wind for cleaner energy

At the Windaba Conference and Exhibition, held in October in Cape Town, Western Cape, Niveshen Govender, CEO of the South African Wind Energy Association, spoke to Glenneis Kriel about the state of wind energy in the country and the opportunities that farmers can exploit.

What is South Africa’s current wind energy capacity?

The number of operational wind farms in South Africa has grown to 34 since the introduction of utility-scale wind technology to the country’s renewable energy mix in 2014.

We have 3,4GW of wind energy currently installed, equating to about 6% of the energy mix. Wind energy generates approximately 46 480GWh per annum and powers over 3,6 million households.

By how much is South Africa’s wind energy capacity expected to increase by 2030?

The 2024 South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey revealed a potential for 53GW of projects at all stages of development, and 33GW of projects that could be implemented over the next three to five years.

There are 1,3GW of wind energy projects in construction across the Renewable Energy Independent Procurement Programme Bid Window 5, Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Programme, and private projects, with more expected to be announced soon.

What is South Africa’s untapped wind energy potential?

South Africa has an overall wind energy potential of over 400GW.

Could we be become self-sufficient or even export energy?

According to the 2023 South African Energy Trade Report, South Africa exported 11 637GWh of electricity in 2023 as opposed to 12 601GWh in 2022, which on average was 960GWh of electricity exported each month.

While current energy exports are primarily from high-emitting energy sources, there is a clear opportunity to explore the export of renewable energy to regional and international markets in the long term. The immediate priority, however, should be addressing domestic energy security challenges and ensuring a stable supply to meet our own needs. Achieving our nationally determined contributions and commitments to a sustainable energy transition remains a key focus.