SA imported an entire Eskom power station's worth of solar panels - in just 6 months
SA imported an entire Eskom power station's worth of solar panels - in just 6 months
Lameez Omarjee
15 Sep
- South Africa quadrupled its solar PV imports from China in the first half of 2023.
- A new report shows that 3.4GW of solar panels were imported – which, at peak production, is equivalent to the generation capacity of Duvha or Matla power stations.
- South Africa saw the second-largest percentage increase in imports, after Europe.
South Africa quadrupled its solar panel imports from China in the first half of 2023 to 3.4GW – which, at peak production, amounts to nearly the generation capacity of Eskom's Duvha or Matla power stations.
Duvha and Matla have an installed capacity of 3.6GW each.
Energy think tank Ember on Thursday released a report highlighting that China's solar PV exports grew by a third to 114GW in the first six months of the year. Europe was the biggest importer – accounting for more than half or 52.5%, followed by Brazil with 9.5GW.
However, the fastest growth in imports is happening in Africa and the Middle East. South Africa is the main driver of growth in imports for Africa (which more than doubled at 187%). South Africa also recorded the second-biggest increase (438%) or percentage growth in imports after Europe.
"In the last 12 months, South Africa imported 4GW of solar panels from China, which would generate electricity equivalent to around 3% of its annual demand," the report indicated.
The report also cites "frequent load shedding", which is contributing to residents increasing rooftop solar installations. The short-term tax incentives by the government are another growth driver.
Read the full article at: SA imported an entire Eskom power station's worth of solar panels - in just 6 months | Business (news24.com)