Standard Bank’s pipeline of private utility scale renewables projects stands at 4 GW

Standard Bank reports that it has financed 400 MW of distributed generation since government’s recent decision to allow utility scale projects of any size to proceed without a licence even when wheeling electricity through the grid. In addition, its pipeline of such projects for the coming 12 months has increased to 4 GW, including some 1 GW-worth of capacity that is expected to reach financial close within the coming six months. Corporate & Investment Banking (CIB) head Zaid Moola described the reform to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which initially removed the licensing requirement for projects below 100 MW in 2021 and later lifted the threshold altogether, as a “proper game changer”.