The Robben Island Museum launched its brand-new Solar PV mini-grid last week, which will provide the island with a total of
666.4 kw of electricity daily.
This project has been made possible through a partnership between the National Department of Tourism (NDT) and Robben Island Museum (RIM).
Tourism Minister Tokozile Xasa said the department recognised that tourism was a major contributor to the national GDP and therefore needed to be supported by renewable energy.
“This collaborative initiative not only affirms our country’s capability to engineer sustainable energy solutions, but it inspires hope that the business of tourism can be conducted in a sustainable manner,” he said.
Robben Island Museum CEO, Mava Dada, said: “Prior to the construction of the solar plant, we relied solely on expensive diesel generators to provide electricity on the Island. This transition will see the island largely powered by the solar plant. This will not only reduce the island’s carbon emissions by almost 820 tons a year, it will also bring about savings of around
R 4 million per annum.”
