MEDIA ALERT: PCC WELCOMES THE SOUTH AFRICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY MASTER PLAN

SOUTH AFRICAN RENEWABLE ENERGY MASTER PLAN – A CLARION CALL TO INVEST IN INDUSTRIALISATION, LOCALISED MANUFACTURING AND SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE – 18 JULY 2023

The Presidential Climate Commission welcomes the release for public comments, the South African National Renewable Energy Master Plan (SAREM) as published by The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) calling on stakeholders to review and provide comments on the Masterplan (SAREM).

We welcome the intensive nature of the consultations as led by the DMRE, working with industry stakeholders, experts, labour, and other government departments, which led to the development a SAREM which articulates a vision, objectives, and an action plan for South Africa to tap into opportunities provided by renewable energy and battery storage technologies.

The SAREM heralds a new impetus for our country’s renewable energy drive and ambition to this end the as PCC we welcome the four priorities as outlined in SAREM being (1) Supporting the local demand for renewable energy by unlocking market demand and system readiness (2) Driving industrial development by building renewable energy value chains, and supportive trade and industrial policy (3) Fostering inclusive development through transformation, supporting the development of emerging suppliers and (4) Building local capabilities in skills and innovation and associated industrial development.

The SAREM follows hot on the heels of the recent handover of the PCC recommendations on the country's’ long term electricity plan as part of the ongoing review of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2019) and Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP). The PCC therefore acknowledges the SAREM as a catalytic contribution to our country’s transition to a net zero carbon future and provides a baseline for social consensus and further detailed planning and implementation of essential projects and programmes to achieve our objectives by 2030.

The SAREM is a reflection government’s reaffirmation that our future energy mix will be aligned with the Just Transition Framework and geared at sustaining investments including those prioritised under in the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan

The commission reiterates that the immediate challenge remains the current energy crisis and reaffirms its support for the Energy Action Plan, and the broader reforms to the energy sector particularly, the lifting of the cap on embedded generation, and enabling household roof-top solar systems through incentives and feed-in tariff regime as announced previous by government.

The Commission believe that the Masterplan , should contribute to the achievement of a just transition and support the shift of South Africa’s electricity supply and reiterates the need of a ‘transition-capable’ developmental state to navigate the complexities of transition and in moving forward, the PCC will submit additional comment on the SAREM to the DMRE for consideration by government on the implementation of the SAREM in line with our recent pronouncement on the energy mix.

Issued by Presidential Climate Commission

For all post media interviews please contact: Blessing Manale, Head of Communications and Outreach blessing@climatecomission.org.za +27 73 036 5381.