JOHANNESBURG (miningweekly.com) – The appointment of Gwede Mantashe as the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy has been welcomed by the South African Independent Power Producer Association (SAIPPA), which described as “massive” the challenges he, Deputy Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Bavelile Hlongwa and the rest of their team faced.
The association spoke of the appointments taking place against the backdrop of dire need for clear energy policy and a well-thought-through transitioning to a lower carbon economy, while creating meaningful jobs.
“The task of navigating the country through a complex energy transition is not an easy one and will need careful planning and determined execution,” said SAIPPA chairperson Thomas Garner in a release to Creamer Media’s Mining Weekly Online.
He expressed the belief that agreement on the way forward could be reached in consultation with government, business, labour and civil society and pledged the association’s support for policy deviations that assisted in managing the complex transition to a lower carbon future, provided it was well planned and concluded as part of an inclusive process.
He cited SAIPPA’s goals as the promotion of the collective interests of independent power producers, which were seeking broad industry reform towards competitively priced, reliable and readily available electricity in a regulatory environment that was transparent, certain and IPP friendly.
The association’s members take in large and small companies in the paper, chemical, food, cement and energy industries, along with service providers, consultants, energy lawyers, academics and project funding institutions.