Launch of SAWEM promising for the wind sector, but there are risks to be addressed

The upcoming launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) – currently scheduled for April 1 next year – was generally welcomed by representatives of the wind power industry, participating in a panel discussion at the Windaba 2025 conference, on Thursday. Windaba 2025 was held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. “The SAWEM is definitely very promising,” said G7 Renewable Energies (G7) CEO Kilian Hagemann. He and his team had been very encouraged by their deeper examination of the proposed Market Code for the SAWEM. It was a long and a complicated document. Clearly, a lot of work had been put into it, with a lot of industry engagement. “It is complex. It will take some time for the market [wind sector] to wrap its head around it.”