Government Gazette

The 2015 EIA Guideline for Renewable Energy Projects provides a legal and procedural framework for the development of wind, solar, hydro, and biomass energy in South Africa. It aims to streamline the environmental authorization process, integrating requirements from NEMA and other acts to support the country's transition toward a target of 17.8GWe of renewable capacity by 2030.

• The Department of Environmental Affairs published the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Guideline for Renewable Energy Projects to assist developers and regulators with project planning, financing, permitting, and implementation. The guideline is intended to ensure that environmental issues are assessed and addressed timeously to support the sustainable roll-out of renewable technologies.
• The guideline specifically covers the construction, installation, and development of four types of renewable energy projects: Wind Farms, Hydropower Stations, Photovoltaic Power Plants, and Concentrating Solar Power Plants.
• South Africa's energy strategy has evolved from a 2003 White Paper on Renewable Energy, which targeted a 10,000GWh renewable energy contribution to final energy consumption by 2013. The 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) Revised Balanced Scenario (RBS) subsequently included a target for an additional supply capacity of 17.8GWe from renewable sources by 2030.
• The government has implemented a Renewable Energy IPPs Procurement Programme, launched in 2011, to encourage Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to feed into the national grid, with a target of 3,725MW.
• Wind energy is identified as the most commercially developed renewable technology in South Africa. While it produces electricity without CO2 emissions, potential negative impacts include noise, visual impacts, habitat fragmentation, and risks to biodiversity, specifically birds and bats.
• The guideline outlines a 'one environmental system' approach to integrate various licenses. For renewable energy, the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) serves as the Competent Authority for issuing energy-related EIA authorisations, while waste licenses are typically issued by provincial authorities.
• Specific environmental authorizations are required based on the technology used: biogas, biomass, landfill gas, and concentrated solar thermal projects typically require an Atmospheric Emission License (AEL). Hydropower and concentrated solar thermal projects with high water requirements for cooling or steam cycles require a Water Use License (WUL).
• The Astronomy Geographic Advantage areas Act (No. 21 of 2007) creates restrictions in the Northern Cape Province to protect optical and radio astronomy. Wind turbines are specifically noted as a potential conflict due to the risk of electromagnetic interference with radio astronomy observations.

APA

Centre for Environmental Rights (2015). Government Gazette. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EIA-Guideline-for-Renewables.pdf?x21779

Chicago

Centre for Environmental Rights. Government Gazette. 2015. https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EIA-Guideline-for-Renewables.pdf?x21779.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Centre for Environmental Rights |title=Government Gazette |date=16 October 2015 |url=https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EIA-Guideline-for-Renewables.pdf?x21779 |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centreforenvironmentalrights2015government, author = {{Centre for Environmental Rights}}, title = {{Government Gazette}}, institution = {Centre for Environmental Rights}, year = {2015}, month = oct, url = {https://cer.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/EIA-Guideline-for-Renewables.pdf?x21779}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }