Minister of public works & infrastructure Patricia de Lille announced on Thursday that her department would approach the private sector for proposals on the greening of the government’s property portfolio, which is the biggest in the country.
The integrated renewable energy and resource efficiency programme was gazetted as a strategic integrated project in July 2020, as part of the government’s infrastructure investment plan. A request for information for the project will be issued on September 20. The greening of buildings is a key part of the government’s attempts to reduce CO2 emissions goals, required by the Paris Agreement.
The programme has been registered by the Treasury to be implemented as a public-private partnership in collaboration with the private sector on “a full design, finance, build, operate, transfer basis”.
De Lille’s spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, said “it would involve multiple private sector players” under one programme with an anticipated 3,800 new small businesses developed in the process,
“This is an opportunity for large-scale innovation in government that not only promotes resource efficiency and saves money but it is a major effort to protect the planet against the devastating effects of climate change,” said De Lille.
The department’s properties consume about 4,021GW/h of electricity and 39-million kilolitres of water, which equates to an average annual expenditure on electricity and water of R2.4bn and R1.8bn, respectively.
The aim is to reduce energy intensity by 22%-45%; water usage by 30%-55%; and a reduction of waste to landfill by 50%.
De Lille said that the projected savings over 30 years would amount to more than R400bn.
A reduction in CO2 and other GHG (greenhouse gas emissions) emission be more than 54.5Mt, said a statement.
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