Unlocking South Africa's untapped wind energy: Key steps forward
For those worried about the environmental impact of wind turbines, Mark Tanton, CEO of Red Cap Energy, reassures us that South Africa boasts some of the world’s strongest environmental policies.
Clarence Ford interviews Mark Tanton, CEO of Red Cap Energy.
Listen below.
South Africa has achieved a significant milestone, experiencing over 100 consecutive days without loadshedding – the longest stretch in more than four years.
The country has successfully experienced a winter free from loadshedding.
RELATED: 'Loadshedding has been bad for South Africans. We profusely apologise' – Eskom
According to Red Cap Energy, two key factors have driven this progress: improved availability of baseload power and the additional supply from private wind developers.
However, Tanton emphasises that ensuring long-term grid stability will necessitate a substantial increase in wind energy investments and greater funding for transmission infrastructure.
"Large-scale wind turbines are extremely efficient and cost-effective at producing the power."
- Mark Tanton, CEO – Red Cap Energy
"We need large-scale investment into the big infrastructure, into the big transmission lines"
- Mark Tanton, CEO – Red Cap Energy
For those worried about the environmental impact of wind turbines, Tanton reassures that South Africa boasts some of the world’s strongest environmental policies.
Regarding visual concerns, he notes that the turbines are strategically located in areas where their presence is less intrusive.
"If you look at the windfarms we've done to date, the turbines are predominantly on dairy farms."
- Mark Tanton, CEO – Red Cap Energy
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