Draft sustainable hydropower generation policy

The Department of Water and Sanitation has published the Draft sustainable hydropower generation policy for public comment. "The purpose of this document is to provide Policy position for the Department of Water and Sanitation on the establishment and development of hydropower on existing DWS infrastructure as well as within the water resources of South Africa as part of long term interventions by the Department to support sustainable power supply in South Africa.

The policy provisions will be applicable to prospective and existing hydropower generators in relation to describing the DWS authorisation process for hydropower development on DWS owned infrastructure utilisation and water resources optimisation with regards to water transfer schemes which include dams, barrages; rivers, irrigation systems (canals and conduits) as well as run-offriver schemes.

It encourages energy efficiency initiatives in the water and sanitation sector which includes but not limited to: Conduit hydropower in development opportunity within Water and Sanitation services infrastructures and water distribution networks. This Policy will address all issues ranging from very small-scale run-off-river projects to the largescale retrofitted dams. The Department does not foresee dams being constructed for the sole purpose of hydropower however the feasibility of potential hydropower generation at newly planned dams will be required. The scope of this Policy excludes tidal lagoons, harbours and wave energy systems but further investigations of suitable hydropower in these systems is encouraged."