IPP Office says next renewables bid window by end Jan ‘latest’, but possibly before year-end

The head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office, which performs the IPP procurement function on behalf of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), says discussions are under way with the department to finalise the roll-out plan for the Section 34 determination that caters for the procurement of 11 813 MW of new generation capacity. Speaking during a webinar on Thursday, IPP Office CEO Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro said that the fifth bid window, known as BW5, of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) would be launched by the end of January 2021 at the latest, but that the request for proposals (RFP) could be released before the end of 2020.