Assessing the sustainability of an independent power producer's social investment in a community: a case study of scatec solar

[摘要] ENGLISH SUMMARY : The launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) in South Africa in August 2011 has meant a positive move towards reaching green economy ideals and has played an important role in realising economic development in rural areas in the country. The purpose of the programme is twofold: to move away from coal-dominated electricity production, thereby reducing carbon emissions, and to contribute to economic development in South Africa.In order to align with the economic development agenda of the government and the parameters of the Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE) Act (No. 53 of 2003), the REIPPPP has set out parameters within which independent power producers (IPPs) can attain economic criteria through development projects. These criteria include job creation, local ownership, enterprise development (ED), and socio-economic development (SED).This study focuses on the SED component of the REIPPPP and its participatory and sustainable application by IPPs. The case study utilised is SCATEC SOLAR, a Norwegian solar producer, and their Linde solar plant in the Northern Cape of South Africa. The beneficiary community is Hanover, which falls within the 50 km radius of the plant.The study is based on the premise that, if the beneficiary community participates authentically in the development process of the REIPPPP and are empowered and become self-reliant, the programmes have a greater chance of achieving sustainability. This study therefore argues for authentic and empowering community participation through improved methodology by change agents and a greater focus on participation as a means to sustainability.The IAP2 public participation model regarding community participation, as discussed by Theron, Ceaser and Davids (2007:8), can play an important role in the implementation of the SED components of the REIPPPP; and using this level of analysis it is clear that the participation is still at a tokenism level and, although set out with the best intentions, it has not reached an empowering stage. This study adopted a qualitative research method and an evaluative research design, aiming to answer whether the development programme has been implemented sustainably in a participatory manner.Government, development change agents, IPPs and beneficiary communities are all responsible for streamlining the process of community development requirements as set out in the REIPPPP, and for ensuring that communities and their indigenous knowledge systems are valued and utilised. This study reveals that SCATEC SOLAR has not implemented their socio-economic investment in Hanover in an authentic participatory and sustainable manner. The study does however highlight the fact that the initial participatory issues can be rectified and makes recommendations which can be utilised by SCATEC SOLAR and other IPPs in order to ensure the ideals of participatory development for rural communities can be achieved.The study also recommends that further studies be conducted on SCATEC SOLAR's SED investment after a longer period of implementation has been achieved. This research can assist IPPs in becoming part of the South African participatory agenda already expressed through the Constitution (1996), the National Development Plan (2013) and other legislation.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University