Page 6 - AfrElec Week 34 2022
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Eskom partners with CPUT on
staff-retraining agreement at
Komati power plant
SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa’s national power utility Eskom Energy Technology Centre] from other energy
and the Cape Peninsula University of Technol- centres,” Nhlapo is quoted as saying by IOL.
ogy (CPUT) have signed a multi-million rand The SARETEC is the first national renewable
agreement to start a training centre at Komati energy technology centre in South Africa estab-
power station, Independent Online (IOL) lished at CPUT to expedite accredited training
reported on August 23. for the entire renewable energy industry includ-
The training centre aims to retrain, educate ing short courses and workshops.
and upskill workers from Eskom-operated According to Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter,
coal-fired power plant in renewable energy CPUT was the only one option of a suitable facil-
technology in line with the Eskom Just Energy ity to provide the training, IOL reports.
Transition drive. Training will also be provided “We estimate that 300,000 jobs could be
for qualifying beneficiaries from surrounding created thanks to the transition to renewable
communities in the Mpumalanga region. energy. But, of course, these are skilled jobs and
Commenting on the agreement, CPUT’s vice so that is why it is so important that we engage
chancellor and principal Chris Nhlapo said the with a reputable education institution like CPUT
university was well placed to handle the training. to ensure that we can reskill these people who are
“In many respects CPUT is the perfect currently working in the coal value chain to work
home for a partnership of this nature because in renewable energy,” said De Ruyter.
everything that we have done thus far has distin-
guished SARETEC [South African Renewable
P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 34 25•August•2022
