The Garden Route will soon welcome a R1.2-billion solar farm project, approved by the National Treasury as a new source of sustainable and alternative energy for the region.
Kannaland municipal manager Reynold Stevens has confirmed the new project on Wednesday, February 7 during an oversight visit to the Garden Route district municipality.
The project will be a partnership between Kannaland Municipality and InnovSure to give the municipality a new source of green energy amid load shedding concerns.
“This is a fantastic initiative as this investment will create job opportunities and the company will further invest R42 million per annum in the Kannaland Municipality for critical infrastructure projects and further assist the Municipality with smart technology,” said DA MPP Deidre Baartman to MyBroadBand.
Baartman is of the opinion that the government cannot tackle the country’s energy crisis alone and that companies and people need to come together to develop strategies and projects for alternative energy.
“It is vital that we break down the national government’s monopoly on energy generation and provision, and bring in the private sector to diversify this industry as a matter of urgency. The Kannaland solar farm is a prime example of this,” adds Baartman.
The new solar farm will also be able to draw and store energy from Eskom to reuse at a later stage, supplementing this energy during outages and sending it to nearby municipalities in need.
“I will be monitoring this development closely to ensure that the Western Cape attains energy independence from Eskom to grow our provincial economy and create much needed jobs,” said Baartman.
The is just one of many steps the province is making toward independence and a brighter tomorrow.
Picture: Unsplash
