CEO VOICE – March 2022

CEO VOICE – March 2022

Dear Members

As we continue to observe global  advancements in Wind Energy, we can clearly see that South Africa is no different, as evident in the Global Wind Energy Council’s ‘Capturing Green Recovery Opportunities from Wind Power in Developing Economies’ report.  The research indicates that our sector has the potential to deliver R150-billion in gross value-add to the economy over 25 years, something that we are all working towards.

However, constrained grid access remains the biggest hurdle for the RE sector to overcome, in order to achieve this significant growth potential. For this reason, our Association continues to engage and develop a better working relationship with Eskom across the three business units.  This approach has resulted in our participation in the ‘Future Grid Survey’, which will assist the Utility to prioritise transmission planning.  It certainly is a positive sign that Eskom is proactively working to identify where our industry is constrained and how best to plan future infrastructure upgrades.

This month, our Gender Diversity Working Group, celebrated its first year since inception, coinciding with International Women’s Day 2022, themed ‘Gender Equality Today, for a Sustainable Tomorrow’. Please read our article below, which outlines the focus areas that the GDWG is committed to, as we continue to #breakthebias.

As I continue to implement my 90-day plan, I will soon be reaching out to engage with each and every valued member to ensure that going forward the SAWEA strategy is inclusive and informed.

Kind regards,
Niveshen Govender
CEO, South African Wind Energy Association