Maximising the impact of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)

The REIPPPP has successfully added 6,308.68 MW of renewable electricity to South Africa's grid and supported local industry, but it has been hindered by policy uncertainty, grid capacity bottlenecks, and a six-year gap between Bid Windows 4 and 5. The document argues that for the programme to reach the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 goals for solar PV and wind by 2030, South Africa must unbundle Eskom, establish an Independent Systems Market Operator (ISMO), and optimise transmission infrastructure. It recommends streamlining bid windows, enhancing regulatory transparency, and leveraging the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) to promote strategic localisation and job creation.

• Since its 2011 inception, the REIPPPP has added 6,308.68 MW of renewable electricity to the national grid, created an average of 55,217 jobs, and helped reduce solar PV and wind electricity tariffs.
• A six-year delay between Bid Windows 4 (2018) and 5 (2021) caused local solar PV manufacturers to go out of business due to insufficient demand and created investor uncertainty.
• Grid capacity limitations and political uncertainty severely restricted Bid Window 6, which only allocated 860 MW of the planned 5,200 MW.
• The South African energy landscape is dominated by Eskom, which generates over 80% of electricity from coal and is currently over R400bn in debt.
• The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2019 sets targets to increase solar PV generation to 10.5% (7,985 MW) and wind generation to 15.1% (11,442 MW) by 2030.
• Reforming the electricity supply industry through the unbundling of Eskom and the creation of an Independent Systems Market Operator (ISMO) is essential to reduce uncertainty and create a level playing field for independent power producers.
• The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is identified as a tool to increase local participation and economic growth through special economic zones and enterprise development programmes.

APA

Obisie-Orlu, V. (2023). Maximising the impact of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Good Governance Africa. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2023/12/REIPPPP_Policy_Briefing.pdf

Chicago

Obisie-Orlu, Vincent. Maximising the impact of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). Good Governance Africa, 2023. https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2023/12/REIPPPP_Policy_Briefing.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Obisie-Orlu |first1=Vincent |title=Maximising the impact of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) |publisher=Good Governance Africa |date=December 2023 |url=https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2023/12/REIPPPP_Policy_Briefing.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{obisieorlu2023maximising, author = {Obisie-Orlu, Vincent}, title = {{Maximising the impact of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP)}}, institution = {Good Governance Africa}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://digitalmallblobstorage.blob.core.windows.net/wp-content/2023/12/REIPPPP_Policy_Briefing.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }