There has been a substantial growth in wind energy projects, with over 48GW in various stages of development, according to the 2024 South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey (SAREGS) results, presented earlier this week by the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA).
This is a significant increase from 30GW in 2023, says 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,” he says. “This marks a significant positive step forward in the just energy transition and is expected to drive socio-economic growth in these regions.”
In its third year, SAREGS has become an essential tool for aligning South Africa’s renewable energy development pipeline with grid planning and investment, and further showcases the need for collaborative efforts between industry stakeholders.
This year, participation in the survey more than doubled, reaching 483 contributions, while the projected installed capacity of all renewable energies surged from 93,3GW to 172,4GW, and contracted capacity nearly doubled to 133,7GW from 66GW in 2023.
Additionally, more than 60GW of these projects are expected to come online within three to five years.
SAWEA believes the 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.
“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,” concludes Sookgrim.