Cape Town - Popular tourist destination Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela and other Struggle stalwarts were imprisoned, will soon run on solar power.
The announcement was made by Tourism Minister Derek Hanekom in his budget vote.
Hanekom said the programme would contribute to a countrywide effort to reduce energy demand and to start shifting towards efficient and renewable energy use.
Renewable energy will be introduced at botanical gardens, South African National Parks and at some World Heritage sites. It will also include some community-based projects, particularly those that don’t have access to the electricity grid.
Quinton Mtyala, spokesperson at Robben Island, said the museum was already looking at plans for alternative energy and the implementation of solar power would mean less reliance on fossil fuels.
“Prior to the discussions with the Department of Tourism, Robben Island Museum had already commissioned a feasibility study on alternative energy.
“The results of the study have been shared with the Department of Tourism and the Department of Public Works.”
Mtyala said although they could not give an exact amount of energy used by the site, he believed they spent more than R10-million over the last financial year for energy needs.
“A large percentage would also have gone to electrical power generation and the desalination plant.
“Robben Island generates power using diesel generators. Diesel is also used to run the desalination plant,” said Mtyala.
Weekend Argus