Operation Vulindlela – the project delivery unit in the Presidency – and mining and industry are busting the red tape on private electricity generation projects to get them onto the grid to produce energy more quickly.
Although Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe lifted the threshold for exemption from licensing of private generation to 100 MW, projects must still register with the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa), which is an onerous process. While construction of the projects typically takes 12 months, regulatory compliance is around 24 months long even for registration.
To cut down on time and bureaucracy, Operation Vulindlela has a weekly meeting with all relevant government departments and the Minerals Council, the Energy Intensive Users Group and the Fera Alloys Producers Association, where projects are discussed and blockages identified.
