CAPE TOWN – South Africa has announced that it is working on a roadmap plan to solar power four of her airports. Selected as sites for photovoltaic plants are OR Tambo International, Bloemfontein, Kimberley, and Upington airports, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) said on Saturday.
These airports will be fitted with solar power installations to collectively generate 20MW of electricity, said ACSA spokesman Solomon Makgale. The airport solar-power initiative is a necessary step as the country is facing electricity crisis, the ACSA said.
A basic impact assessment was completed in April this year for the photovoltaic installations and ACSA will have to await the approval from relevant departments such as the Department of Energy.
If given the final go-ahead, OR Tambo International will have a roof-based installation on the parkade building, which is expected to feed into the ACSA-owned substation for about 20 years. South Africa has taken great steps to develop renewable energy.
Under the Green Economy Accord reached between the government and business circles last Thursday, the government pledges to “secure commitments for the supply of 3, 725 MW of renewable energy by 2016”. To achieve this goal, a capital allocation of 22 billion rand (about 2.8 billion U.S. dollars) will be set aside for green projects over the next five years, and a further three billion rand (375 million dollars) will be made available for manufacturing of green products and components. (Xinhua)
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