Alan Winde, the Premier of the Western Cape and a group of delegates have set out to tour Europe in an effort to address key issues facing the province and country.
The trip which began last week in the United Kingdom is aimed at addressing the energy crisis and ways to recover post-COVID-19 economically.
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According to the Premier, Europe is facing energy issues that correlate with South African energy setbacks. However, as a nation, we have been buckling under an unprecedented spate of mass power cuts – the longest stretch since load shedding had to be implemented more than 14 years ago.
“I am gravely concerned generally at the situation, which is not improving. The damage rolling power cuts are doing to the provincial economy is considerable. That is why we have to intensify and expand our green energy drive by boosting our relations with European partners and finding the right energy mix for our province,” said Winde.
The Western Cape Government (WCG) delegation today was in France exploring ways to make the province more energy-resilient by building relevant European networks.
The trip is yielding results as an update from the delegation reveals opportunities in solar and green hydrogen (GH2) energy alternatives that the Western Cape can benefit from.
The delegation was hosted by Hydrogen Europe in Belgium. The province is well-positioned to produce GH2 for local offtake and export.
The Western Cape is positioning itself as South Africa’s green economy hub.
A number of companies working in the renewable energy space have chosen Cape Town as their home.
The province will be attracting more investment in this sector.
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Picture: Premier Alan Winde / Facebook