US company Jinko Solar will open its R80m, 120MW solar photovoltaic (PV) module production facility in Cape Town on Tuesday, trade and industry minister Rob Davies announced.
“South Africa is becoming a leader in renewable energy,” Davies said on the sidelines of the US-Africa summit in Washington on Monday.
“Within the space of three years, the REIPPP [Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme] model is fast developing into a new industry sector.”
He said Jinko Solar had opened the facility in response to the roll-out of the programme, where 148MW of solar PV projects had been procured.
Since the beginning of the undertaking, it had deployed 300MW of solar PV panels, reaching around 30% market share, Davies said.
“[This] once again highlights the attractiveness of South Africa as an investment destination and will contribute further to establishing the country as a hub for renewable energy and other green economy industries,” he said. — Sapa
- The reporter’s flight and hotel costs for covering the summit were paid for by the presidency