The Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS) in South Africa has opened a window for interested parties to submit pre-applications for water use authorisations to generate hydropower. In an effort to contribute to the power grid with renewable energy and tackle the country’s power crisis, the DWS has revised its hydropower policy to enable the utilisation of its infrastructure and water resources for renewable energy generation.
At a hybrid briefing session that took place in Kempton Park in Ekurhuleni on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, DWS Director-General, Dr Sean Phillips, explained the three phases of Water Use Licence Applications (WULA) required for the processing of hydropower license applications. The first phase is a pre-application phase, which will run from April 17 to June 30, 2023. The second phase will be the application compilation and submission, which will end on January 31, 2024. The third and final phase is application processing, decision, and communication by the DWS, which will take a maximum period of 90 working days.
“The policy empowers DWS to remain within its mandate while supporting the much-needed investment in renewable energy generation in the country. We have a duty as the Department to ensure that the nation's water resources are protected, used, developed, conserved, managed and controlled as stipulated in the National Water Act,” said Dr Phillips.
According to Advocate Sipho Skasana, a Chief Director in the DWS Water Use Licence Application (WULA), the DWS has initiated the DWS Hydropower Independent Producer Programme (DWS HIPP), which allows for the available infrastructure and water courses to be used to contribute to the power grid with renewable energy.
The DWS will support the development of hydropower as part of both social and economic development within the context of water scarcity and water infrastructure challenges without compromising sustainable protection of water resources and water and sanitation services provisions. The types of hydropower technologies that can be applied for include Impoundment; river diversion or run-of-river; pumped storage and floating or kinetic turbines (small scale generating capacity).
“Once the decision has been made by DWS to grant a license for hydropower generation, the licence will last for a maximum of 40 years. The conditions of a licence specify that the construction should start within the stipulated time-frame following the issuance of a licence. It should however be noted that all the applications should comply with the conditions of a licence to avoid the suspension and withdrawal of the licence according to Section 54 of the National Water Act,” said Adv. Skosana.
The DWS will solely be responsible for Water Use Licence Applications. However, the department will not provide any financial support to the applicants during application, construction, operations and maintenance, nor be involved in any of the Eskom processes or own any electricity production.
