Cape Town - A sod-turning ceremony in Atlantis on Monday has been hailed as an important step towards increasing energy resilience in the Western Cape.
The ceremony to mark the start of civil infrastructure construction within zone 1 of the Atlantis Special Economic Zone (ASEZ) was attended by Premier Alan Winde, together with Finance and Economic Opportunities MEC Mireille Wenger and Economic Growth Mayco member James Vos, among others.
The Atlantis SEZ was established to become a hub for local green technology manufacturing – including renewable energy technologies; energy storage; energy efficiency; water efficiency and management; greener packaging; recycling; and green chemicals – and to create jobs while growing the local economy.
It aims to achieve this by attracting and supporting local low-carbon, resource-efficient and socially inclusive manufacturing to compete in Africa’s green technology markets.
The premier, who officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the R89 million construction, said it was a landmark moment in the drive towards achieving the goal of the ASEZ.
“The Western Cape, and Atlantis in particular, are burgeoning green technology hubs. This development has reached a critical milestone in our collective push towards making the province energy resilient, and in doing so creating economic opportunities too.”
A successful sod-turning ceremony for the Atlantis Special Zone, a Monumental moment indeed for the Zone. @CityofCT @WesternCapeGov @Wesgro pic.twitter.com/nQT4ojN0cI
Education and skills in South Africa are of outmost importance if we need our investment in Business to be successful said @alanwinde as he addressed the event attendees. @cityofcape @WesternCapeGov @Wesgro pic.twitter.com/7b9q91hyf7
— AtlantisSEZ (@AtlantisSEZ) June 5, 2023
Wenger said: “We know there is immense potential in the green economy and that the ASEZ is a critical element in unleashing the potential of green manufacturing opportunities.
“We also understand the imperative to transition to a low-carbon economy, so we can mitigate climate change and the impact it has on countries across the world.”
She said the Western Cape government stood ready to work with all stakeholders to remove obstacles that stood in the way of realising the full potential of the green economy, in order to secure a future that was not only cleaner and greener, but that left no one behind.
ASEZ chief executive Matt Cullinan said they were already making an impact in Atlantis, and noted that building a sustainable future required sustainable manufacturing.
Vos, who has been involved since the beginning of the setting up of the ASEZ – working out the land deal, as well as the positioning and the design of the business model – agreed it was a landmark moment.
“We live on a continent that is home to 60% of the best solar resources globally, and wind supply that could meet Africa’s electricity needs 250 times over. Meanwhile, we could unlock 3.5% more economy-wide jobs.
“The City is proud to be a part of an initiative that will help to meet the metro and province’s existing and future energy demands and that is an example to the rest of South Africa,” he said.
Winde said the project also added to the province’s growing skills development capabilities, which was key to equipping people with the vital skills needed to benefit themselves, their families and their communities.