Pretoria - Bidding by independent power producers to help
supply the country with electricity is under way, as the government moves to
increase its use of renewable energy.
There has been an enthusiastic response from potential bidders
since the energy department started accepting proposals on August 3, its acting
director general Ompi Aphane said on Wednesday.
The target is to have 3 725 megawatts of renewable energy by
2016.
Producers of renewable energy would help create jobs, particularly
in rural areas. Aphane said this, including a rural development strategy and
socioeconomic benefits, forms part of a scorecard to determine the successful
bidder.
So far, there are 270 registered bidders.
Eskom is to act as the buyer of the renewable energy.
Allowing it to bid would amount to indirectly funding it, director general
Nelisiwe Magubane said.
"We didn't allow them to bid... We want to see some
foreign direct investment. We wanted a pool of independent power
producers."