Madam Deputy Speaker, the ANC welcomes the granting of a licence and the final go-ahead to MetroWind Property Limited to build and operate a 27 megawatt wind farm. This is a groundbreaking R550 million renewable energy project, the Van Stadens Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape, which is expected to start supplying power to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the next 13 months.
The generation licence permits MetroWind to operate the first energy-from- wind project to be developed in South Africa, to generate electricity at its Van Stadens facility and to sell this power to Eskom for a period of 20 years. The MetroWind project will use state-of-the-art technology, designed to minimise any negative impact on the environment. Moreover, this project is 100% South African-owned by black economic empowerment, with an interest of 35%.
Furthermore, this project is expected to contribute to job creation, ensure the localisation of renewable energy technologies, aid economic development, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and introduce diverse energy sources. The project is in line with the ANC government's decision to move towards renewable energy sources in accordance with its integrated resource plan, which seeks to increase the overall contribution ... [Time expired.]