{"id":47278,"date":"2022-10-06T12:22:23","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T12:22:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southafricavoice.com\/?p=47278"},"modified":"2022-10-07T12:24:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-07T12:24:42","slug":"premier-alan-winde-on-taking-the-western-cape-governments-investment-drive-to-france-and-germany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southafricavoice.com\/premier-alan-winde-on-taking-the-western-cape-governments-investment-drive-to-france-and-germany\/","title":{"rendered":"Premier Alan Winde on taking the Western Cape Government’s investment drive to France and Germany"},"content":{"rendered":"

SA\u2019s energy crisis high on agenda of Premier\u2019s international investment drive.<\/p>\n

Following a fruitful week in the United Kingdom and Belgium, Premier Alan Winde and a Western Cape Government (WCG) delegation took their investment drive to France and Germany this week.<\/p>\n

Throughout the trip the delegation has been exploring ways to make the province more energy resilient by talking with our European partners. With the country buckling under an unprecedented spate of mass power cuts \u2013 the longest stretch since load shedding had to be implemented more than 14 years ago – the WCG is looking for opportunities abroad to address the power crisis at home. The Premier said: \u201cWe must approach all solutions to this energy catastrophe with an open mind. South Africa\u2019s energy production woes are never far from my mind and at almost all the discussions through this trip where energy-related matters were raised we were keen to listen to our European counterparts about how they are looking at alternative, sustainable ways to generate power. What is at the forefront of my mind is how do we as the Provincial Government enable an energy-resilient environment and what is the right energy mix for the province.\u201d<\/p>\n

South Africa is not alone confronting energy challenges. The UK and parts of Europe are, in varying degrees, also grappling with similar issues due to the Russia-Ukraine war, and in the longer-term we have to think about an energy mix that meets our demands and confronts the need to also address the growing and worrying climate crisis.<\/p>\n

An exciting new \u201cenergy market\u201d in Europe is Green Hydrogen (GH2). The WCG delegation was hosted by Hydrogen Europe in Belgium. The province is well-positioned to produce GH2 for local offtake and export. The Western Cape is positioning itself as South Africa\u2019s green economy hub. A number of companies working in the renewable energy space have chosen Cape Town as their home. Harnessing the potential of the likes of GH2 and solar energy as well as attracting more investment in this sector was a key message at discussions with Hydrogen Europe as well as representatives of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.<\/p>\n

Particular emphasis has also been placed on investing in and growing entrepreneurship. The delegation \u2013 which Includes Wesgro Chief Executive Wrenelle Stander \u2013 met with officials from BPI France, which is described as a one-stop shop for entrepreneurs. The Premier said: \u201cIf we can attract increased foreign investment and entice more would-be entrepreneurs into the power production field, especially renewable energy, we can help resolve South Africa\u2019s electricity shortfall and create more jobs in the process.\u201d<\/p>\n

In France, discussions around renewable energy were also held with:<\/p>\n