As the second round of successful bidders of the South African REIPPP are announced, what are the key issues facing the solar industry in South Africa?
Greater policy and regulatory certainty have given the industry a much needed boost, what opportunities does this present and what are the main challenges that still lie ahead?
The second round of the South African REIPPP, announced this month, granted 9 more solar bidders permission to start developing projects with a combined generation capacity of 417 MW. While this news generally signals a boost for the solar industry, the figure is much lower than the first round and confirms the difficulty developers have experienced in fulfilling the strict criteria stipulated by the Department of Energy.
To meet successful first round developers along with policy makers and financiers, join us at the 2nd annual Solar South Africa. Click here to register online or contact Samantha Coleman, T: +44 (0) 20 7099 0600. Local content criteria, which increased from 28.5% in the first window to 47.5% in the second, has been the subject of much discussion over the past few months; some say it was one of the key reasons only 19 bidders of the 79 applicants were successful in the round.
With more competition and stricter criteria, the South African tender is not getting any easier. But with greater policy and regulatory certainty, developers have good reason to keep submitting their bids. Have your say on what you think are the key issues, achievements, challenges and opportunities for the South African REIPPP going forward. Click here to take part in the Solar South Africa 2012 survey. (The survey takes only a few minutes and the results will be complied and published in a report next week).
Alternatively, join us at Solar South Africa 2012 and take advantage of meeting the entire solar South Africa value chain under one roof. Hear the latest regulatory news from key policy makers and learn from successful round one and two bidders’ experience, plus meet with local and international investors and partners. Click here to see the full two day agenda or for more information about who you will meet at
