The Select Committee on Agriculture, Land Reform and Mineral Resources has called on the Department of Electricity and Energy to prioritise local manufacturing of renewable energy components following a briefing on the implementation of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) on July 16.
Committee members questioned the department on its localisation strategy and raised concern about continued reliance on imported components. “South Africa should be a manufacturer of renewable products, such as solar panels, instead of training people to assemble,” the committee said.
The country needs to start moving towards local production of solar panels and charge controllers, the committee said. The department acknowledged the importance of localisation and said plans are in place to explore domestic manufacturing opportunities.
Samantha Graham-Maré, Deputy Minister of Electricity and Energy, recently highlighted this aspect of SAREM at a department budget vote. “SAREM lays the foundation for a renewable economy – one where we don’t just consume green technologies, we manufacture them,” she said.
Reacting to a proposal for import tariffs on renewable energy components in May, industry bodies, the South African Wind Energy Association and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association argued that government should first ensure there is consistent and continuous demand for renewable energy technology in the country before implementing measures to encourage localised production.
