Renewable energy players will now require permission and consent from Eskom if they want to build new energy projects that are located close to existing electricity grid infrastructure.

Renewable energy players that want to build projects to generate electricity and potentially supply it to the national grid now face another hurdle before they can do so.

They will require permission and consent from Eskom if they want to build new renewable energy projects close to existing electricity grid infrastructure.

This is detailed in a Government Gazette published on Monday, 4 December, by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, which has amended rules relating to new renewable energy projects under sections of the National Environmental Management Act and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations.

Any renewable energy player that wants to build a project has to, among other steps, undergo assessment from the department -- a process that entails assessing the project's impact on the environment.

The new rule requires that any renewable energy player that wants to build a new project must request and obtain a consent letter from Eskom if the project is located within "2km of a main electricity transmission substation" or "1km of a main electricity distribution substation".

In seeking permission, players behind a renewable energy project must confirm that the proposed layout of the facility/project "will not unnecessarily obstruct access to the main...