Draft Sustainable Hydropower Generation Policy the Scheduled Contained Contained Publish Publish Hereto, in in As As a A
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STAATSKOERANT, 15 JULIE 2016 No. 40140 211 SANITATION SANITATION DEPARTMENT DEPARTMENT WATER OF OF AND Water and Sanitation, Department of/ Water en Sanitasie, Departement van of of Notice. Notice. DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND SANITATION 2016. NOTICE 436 OF 2016 436 National Water Act (36/1998): Draft Policy on Sustainable Hydropower Generation 40140 SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABLE DRAFT DRAFT POLICY HYDROPOWER HYDROPOWER GENERATION ON ON of of Water Water capacity capacity Minister Minister Sanitation, Nomvula Nomvula Paula Mokonyane, and and duly and and in in I, I, as as my my of of Act Act the the National Water give notice of authorized authorized (Act intention, intention, to by by 1998) hereby 36 36 No. No. draft draft Sustainable Hydropower Generation Policy the scheduled contained contained publish publish hereto, in in as as a a of of for for the comment comment consultation consultation with interested affected affected parties. and and and and purposes purposes after after the invited invited to submit Members Members of the public the Minister, within 60 (sixty) days to to are are of of the following following addresses: publication publication notice written comments inputs the the gazette, the in in to to or or Post Post delivered delivered By By Or Or hand to: to: to: to: of of Sanitation Sanitation Director-General Director-General Department Water Water and and The The of of Sanitation Sanitation Francis Francis Department Department Water Street, Street, and and Baard 185 185 Private Private X313 Sedibeng Building, Building, Room 914 Bag Bag Pretoria Pretoria Pretoria 0001 0001 0001 for for ANIL ANIL SINGH: WATER SECTOR REGULATION Marked Marked the the attention: MR MR DDG: DDG: fax fax 4745) 4745) By By email: (086 by by 561 561 to: to: or or or or email: email: Alternative Alternative fax (086 (086 216 9765) by by to: to: or or draft draft the the Sustainable Hydropower enquiries enquiries connection Generation Generation Policy All All with be in in can can A.B A.B 7360) 7360) directed directed to Singh Singh Brisley at 8768) 336 336 Mr Mr (012 336 at at (012 Ms M.E or or considered. considered. Comments Comments received after the closing date not not be may may okonyane okonyane Nomvula Nomvula Sanitation Sanitation of of Minister Minister Water Water and '- '- Date: Date: This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za 212 No. 40140 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 15 JULY 2016 ,,,_ water & sanitation Department: Water and Sanitation REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA DRAFT SUSTAINABLE HYDROPOWER GENERATION POLICY Gazetted for Public Consultation July 2015 1 This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za STAATSKOERANT, 15 JULIE 2016 No. 40140 213 Table of Contents page numbers 1. Introduction and Background ................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Purpose .................................................................................................................................................................... 3 3. Scope of the Policy .................................................................................................................................................. 3 4. Key Policy Considerations ....................................................................................................................................... 4 5. Relevant Legislative framework ............................................................................................................................... 4 5.1 DWS Mandate .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 5.2 Planning Framework: The National Development Plan Vision 2030 ........................................................................ 5 5.3 Energy Policies and Legislation ................................................................................................................................ 6 6. Hydropower Guiding Principles ................................................................................................................................ 8 6.1 Water Support for Integrated and Sustainable Power Generation .......................................................................... 8 6.2 Differentiated authorisation process ........................................................................................................................ 9 6.3 Integrated Hydropower Authorisation and Licensing process ............................................................................... 10 6.4 Ensuring Real Hydro Power Investment and Partnerships.................................................................................... 10 6.5 Compulsory compliance with dam safety standards and other necessary safety requirements ........................... 11 6.6 Use and promotion of appropriate sustainable technology.................................................................................... 11 6.7 Utilisation of International Sustainable Hydropower generation protocol .............................................................. 12 7 Types of Utilisation on DWS water resources and owned infrastructure ............................................................... 12 Table 1: Types of Approved utilisation on DWS water resources and owned infrastructure .......................................... 13 8 Exclusions .............................................................................................................................................................. 13 9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................. 13 10 Approval ................................................................................................................................................................. 14 2 This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za 214 No. 40140 GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, 15 JULY 2016 1. Introduction and Background The global shift towards renewable energy and the ongoing South African energy crisis have created an environment where renewable energy projects including hydropower projects, such as those which are retrofitted to existing dams, are both environmentally and financially attractive due to existing suitable infrastructure. With South Africa experiencing serious electricity shortages currently, the National Development Plan sets a target of 20 000MW of new-build generation capacity from renewable sources by 2030. This is half of the overall new-build capacity target. The Green Energy Strategic Infrastructure Project aims to deliver a third of this (6.9GW) through independent power producers by 31 March 2019. These renewable technologies include on shore wind, solar photovoltaic, concentrated solar power, biogas, biomass, landfill gas, and hydropower. Furthermore the President of the Republic of South Africa, in his State of the Nation address made a commitment that the state will invest and look into the development of hydropower as one of the sustainable renewable energy generation methods. Different forms of hydropower including reservoir, pumped storage and run-of-river systems of various sizes are available and can be used for different forms of electricity. South Africa has a potential to develop hydropower at existing DWS infrastructure such as dams, canals, pipelines as well as making use of the water resources in SA including the shared river basins. Instead of dams being constructed for the purpose of hydropower, existing reservoirs that are used for other purposes can be fitted with hydropower plants in order to augment electricity supply towards meeting peak electricity demands. This is in line with multiple-use approach enshrined in the 2013 National Water Policy Review. Hydropower is a renewable economic, none polluting and environmentally friendly source of energy. In order to ensure optimisation of the water resource use, a policy is required. This has prompted Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) to develop this Policy for the sustainable development of hydropower technologies in the South African water and sanitation sector. Irrespective of the type of any prospective installation, hydropower development in South Africa will require authorization in terms of the National Water Act, 1998 (Act No. 36 of 1998) and amendments. Hydropower generation can contribute not only to the Strategic Infrastructure Projects but also to the Department of Energy‟s universal electrification and energy efficiency strategy. 2. Purpose The purpose of this document is to provide Policy position for the Department of Water and Sanitation on the establishment and development of hydropower on existing DWS infrastructure as well as within the water resources of South Africa as part of long term interventions by the Department to support sustainable power supply in South Africa. 3. Scope of the Policy The policy provisions will be applicable to prospective and existing hydropower generators in relation to describing the DWS authorisation process for hydropower development on DWS owned infrastructure utilisation and water resources optimisation with regards to water transfer schemes 3 This gazette is also available free online at www.gpwonline.co.za STAATSKOERANT, 15 JULIE 2016 No. 40140 215 which include dams, barrages; rivers, irrigation systems (canals