While South Africa's mining industry has embraced renewable energy amid a global energy transition, local energy constraints have made renewable energy capacity a short-term requirement, in addition to coal-based energy sources says international mining consultancy SRK MD Andrew Van Zyl.
''As an intensive energy user in South Africa, the mining sector is keen to reduce its carbon footprint as part of global mining industry efforts to support a lower-carbon future for the planet.
In South Africa, there is the added opportunity that renewable energy could lower the cost of energy at an operational level and reduce the risks associated with unreliable grid energy supply.''
Despite energy constraints, he describes the outlook for renewable-energy generation in South African mining as ''very bright'', adding that renewable energy generated by the private sector can lessen the demand placed on state-owned power utility Eskom and, consequently reduce loadshedding.
