News

The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has responded to two key events this week that are helping to provide clarity and give confidence in new renewable power generation, but warn that more work needs to be done.

If South Africa is to add the much needed 4GW – 5GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to the grid each year, solutions and efforts will need to be employed to optimize the existing transmission infrastructure capacity – providing an interim short term solution to allow Eskom more time to implement the Transmission Development Plan,  which has now passed levels of urgency.

A strong safety culture is at the heart of achieving industry-leading performance in Health and Safety, with what is recognized as a ‘near perfect’ rating by industry standards, reports BTE Renewables.  The company announced that during its 2022 year of operations, only one injury was recorded across all its projects sites, with nearly 800 000 hours worked – most certainly an astounding ...

As part of a drive to support local youth in the small rural community of Noupoort, the 2023 sports league is launching on 19 May 2023. This forms part of an ongoing commitment to promote organized sports as a means of providing valuable structure and positive stimuli to the community.

Karla Cloete (39), a Springbok local, joined the Kangnas Wind Farm two years ago as the new Junior Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Officer and is assisting Brenda Sidaki, Plant Manager, to prioritize and ensure the safety of its workforce and minimizing the impact of this energy facility on the environment.

The annual Food Garden Project, which aims to support no fewer than 50 beneficiaries in the Witzenberg area, kicked off in April. The aim of the project is to promote a healthy lifestyle and restore human dignity by benefitting schools, crèches, old age homes, night shelters, and home gardens overseen by agri- mentors to help ensure success.

To address the needs of the Loeriesfontein community, the Loeriesfontein Hub opened its doors to SASSA, enabling them to offer assistance to more than 500 community members, within five days. As a result of this assistance, the Hub has become a busy and productive space for the community, providing a valuable service to residents despite power outages.

The management team of the Overberg-based Klipheuwel Wind Farm took part in the Western Cape Government’s most recent Energy Digicon, which forms part of it Energy Resilience Program.  The team was pleased to welcome the Province’s delegation and outline the role that this wind farm plays in powering thousands of homes each month.

Teachers and learners at Steynville Secondary School, in Piketberg, are set to benefit from a programme that will equip them with resources and improved methodology to tackle and demystify mathematics. Launched during April, the My Maths Buddy Project will run for a year and engage seven mathematics teachers, as well as 335 learners in grades 9 and 10, at the school.

BTE Renewables has released its second annual Sustainability Report, highlighting its Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) performance in 2022 and progress on its strategic sustainability goals. Building on the base line of its inaugural report (2021), the report demonstrates the company’s leadership in the ESG arena, as recognised through a number of awards and accolades.