Western Cape Government Cabinet adopts position statement on Karpowership

At a meeting of the Western Cape Government (WCG) Cabinet today a position statement on the procurement of electricity from a Karpowership facility was adopted.

Cabinet had requested that intensive research be carried out into the possibility of exploring this emergency measure to end the long-running and devastating energy crisis.

It was resolved that investment into Karpowership technology for a 20-year period is not in the best interests of the Western Cape and the country.
“I do not believe investing vast resources into one company is appropriate and allowing Karpowership SA (Pty) to operate in South Africa for such a long time should not be allowed,” said Premier Alan Winde. “Karpowership SA (Pty) Ltd should not be given the monopoly. If we are to include powerships in our efforts to resolve the energy crisis, we must also consider other companies, and the time period over which they would be utilised must be strictly limited to 5 years, subjected to clear guidelines. This measure should also not negate our investment into ‘green energy’,” he stressed.

Karpowership is one of the preferred bidders under national government’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).

Premier Winde stated, “This crisis demands urgent interventions which must be considered in a transparent manner. We must explore all viable and feasible options to end rolling blackouts, but not at the expense of other role players in the energy space who should also be given the opportunity to be a part of the overall solution,” said Premier Alan Winde.

Cabinet has emphasised that renewable energy (RE) projects must form an integral part of the province’s future energy mix. “Not only is RE becoming increasingly cost-effective it will also assist greatly in our transition away from fossil fuels. We need to strike a balance; we have an obligation to meet the country’s climate change commitments while at the same time growing our economy which requires a stable, resilient, low-carbon energy mix,” continued the Premier.

It was resolved at today’s meeting that future electricity generation for the Western Cape should come from low-carbon, renewable technologies.
Western Cape Minister of Local Government, Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Anton Bredell, said, “The energy choices we make now will impact the natural environment we hand over to future generations. As a government, we should be careful not to take knee-jerk actions.”