The Kannaland Municipality in the Little Karoo will soon have its own alternative source of green energy following the approval of a R1.2 billion solar farm.
This comes as the country battles rolling blackouts, as Eskom struggles to keep the lights on.
The municipality includes towns such as Ladysmith and Calitzdorp.
Once up and running, the solar farm will be able to store energy from Eskom to redistribute to residents and nearby municipalities such as Mossel Bay during the blackouts.
Member of Provincial Parliament, Deidre Baartman, has welcomed the project.
She says, “Government cannot tackle the country’s energy crisis on its own. It is vital that we bring in the private sector to diversify this industry as a matter of urgency. The Kannaland solar farm is a prime example of this. I will be monitoring this development closely to ensure that the Western Cape attains energy independence from Eskom to grow our provincial economy and create much needed jobs.”
