Dear Stakeholder

As a registered stakeholder on the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) National Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Efficient and Effective Rollout of Wind and Solar Photovoltaic Energy database you are hereby notified of the release of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) Report for a 30-day public comment.

The DFFE appointed the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), to undertake the Phase 3 SEA for the effective and efficient roll-out of large-scale wind and solar development in South Africa. Phase 3 of the SEA follows on from the Phase 1 and Phase 2 Wind and Solar SEA which identified 11 Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs) in South Africa.

Phase 3 of the Wind and Solar PV SEA has assessed the boundaries of the eMalahleni and Beaufort West REDZs to determine the potential for expanding these areas along their current boundaries. In addition, the assessment considered the suitability of five REDZs for accommodating wind energy technology alongside solar PV development. The SEA also investigated opportunities to mitigate the risk of vulture electrocution associated with existing electricity distribution lines in the Stormberg and Cookhouse REDZs that utilize older design specifications.

The SEA Report is available at https://redzs.csir.co.za/?page_id=836 and comments should be emailed to redzs@csir.co.za.  We have supplied a comment template, in which you will fill in the page range and line range of the issue on which you are commenting and then insert your comment.

The deadline for the comments is 30 April 2026.