Woman who championed SA renewable energy ousted

Karen Breytenbach, who oversaw the expansion of South Africa’s privately owned renewable energy projects, said she was asked to vacate her job about nine months before her contract expires.

The Department of Energy and the Development Bank of South Africa asked her to leave her post as head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producers office, she said.

“There was no reason,” she said in an interview. “They want to appoint someone else.”

Breytenbach has won support from prominent figures in the energy industry for a program that was seen as one of the world’s best in attracting rapid investment in solar and wind power.

“Since 2011 she has overseen R209 billion ($15 billion) investment in 112 renewable energy projects,” said Antony Eberhard, a member of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s task team for the struggling national power utility Eskom, in a Twitter posting. “Zero corruption.”

Today, Karen Breytenbach, head of the IPP Office, was asked by DBSA & DoE to leave. Since 2011 she has overseen R209 billion investment in 112 renewable energy projects – zero corruption. President @CyrilRamaphosa’s investment drive needs good institutions and people to succeed pic.twitter.com/DrwChLj2L5

— Anton Eberhard (@AntonEberhard) July 22, 2019

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