WWEA welcomes first feed-in tariff in Africa as major breakthrough

Bonn, 31 March 2009. WWEA – The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) announced today that the Energy Regulator approved the Renewable Energy Feed-In Tariff guidelines for the country. The feed-in tariff for electricity from wind energy will be 1,25 South African Rand (0,098 Euro; 0,131 USD) per Kilowatthour over a period of 20 years.

WWEA highly welcomes this announcement which follows a long consultation process by the South African Government. Already during the 2nd World Wind Energy Conference in Cape Town in 2003 the South African Government presented the White Paper for Renewable Energy and WWEA recommended the introduction of a feed-in tariff in order to tap the great potentials of wind energy in the country. In January 2009 WWEA submitted a statement on the proposed guidelines which now have lead to substantial improvements of the initial proposal.

Stefan Gsänger, Secretary General of WWEA: "South Africa has taken the lead and is the first African country to introduce a feed-in tariff for wind energy. Many small and big investors will now be able to contribute to the take-off of the wind industry in the country. Such decentralised investment will enable South Africa to overcome its current energy crisis. It will also help many South African communities to invest in wind farms and generate electricity, new jobs and new income. We are especially pleased as this decision comes shortly after the first North American feed-in law has been proposed by the Government of the Canadian Province of Ontario."

 

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