Of this, wind-power projects made up 50%, solar 48% and small hydro 2%. Foreign developers showed a strong interest. The tender is being run under the independent power producer programme, which closed in November.
Bids will be assessed first on economic aspects, such as black empowerment, community development and local manufacture, then on price. The DoE hopes to announce the preferred bidders during the United Nations climate-change convention in Durban at the end of November.
A second bidding round, scheduled to close on 5 March, may be pushed back slightly to allow the authorities more time to complete the environmental authorisation.
