| EDC Projects |
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CEF’s investments in renewable energy sources are regarded as an important investment in the future. The vision of the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) is to create energy for the future. EDC’s first investment projects includes the Darling Demonstration Wind Farm in the Western Cape. This national demonstration wind farm, a 5.2MW project, aims to encourage other private-sector investments in wind energy. The other partners involved in this project are the Danish government and the Development Bank of South Africa. CEF will be investing R19,3-million in this project and has great expectations that this demonstration farm will stimulate the wind-energy industry in South Africa. Read more about the Darling Demonstration Wind Farm The Bethlehem Hydro project will generate hydro power by 2007. This project is expected to generate 3.9MW of hydro power as an independent power producer. The annual power production is 28.6GWh, which is equivalent to R4,5-million worth of electricity. This will be purchased from the Bethlehem Hydro IPP every year. By 2013, the project, which has a strong female BEE component, will have contributed about 2,3 percent towards the government’s renewable energy target of 10 000GWh. Read more about the Bethlehem Hydro project A project to produce Low-smoke briquettes from coal is being investigated. The briquettes will have excellent ignition characteristics and may reduce the use of traditional low-grade coal in townships, where it is the source of many respiratory illnesses. The poorer communities in metropolitan areas still use coal as a primary source of energy. The incomplete combustion of coal creates severe smoke pollution, especially during winter months when space heating is required. Read more about the EDC’s low-smoke fuels projects SOLCO is a solar-cooking project that has provided South Africans with an alternative way to cook food. The project has resulted in 3 000 solar cookers being sold and has lead to the creation of small manufacturing industries in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. An industry association has been set up. The solar water heaters project, which is partially donor funded, aims to establish financial mechanisms to increase the uptake of solar water heaters in South Africa. So far, it has resulted in the development of standards agreed to by the industry as well as the purchase of a test rig to be stationed at the Pretoria University for testing solar water heaters. |
