Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has urged South African youth to grasp the wealth of opportunities presented as the country moves towards decarbonisation and the establishment of the green economy.
Government has set a target of 102GW of new generation capacity, including 30GW by 2030, in addition to the 14 500km of transmission lines that need to be built to expand the grid.
“So… try to understand what components are required which would be inputs in the building of transmission lines and position yourself there. These are the opportunities that beckon and as entrepreneurs, you should be able to exploit these opportunities and move with speed,” Ramokgopa urged the youth.
The Minister delivered an address on Tuesday at the Youth in Energy Conference and Awards, held in Johannesburg.
He noted that the investment required for the new transmission lines stands at R440 billion, while the investment needed for new generation capacity is some R2.2 trillion.
“What we are doing in the energy sector in the next 12 years constitutes 30% of the South African economy.
“That’s the opportunity that is before you… and as young people, you must position yourselves to participate in this space,” the Minister said.
Furthermore, all the components needed to build infrastructure for the move towards renewable energy require critical minerals, with which South Africa is well endowed.
“If you look at all the critical minerals needed… 70% of those are found in South Africa. It means that South Africa is at the centre of this decarbonisation agenda and we want to own the entire value chain. So, you as young people must choose your place in the entire value chain," he said. – SAnews.gov.za
