The Perseverance Eco-Industrial Park, was chosen as one of five industrial spaces in South Africa, by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
As a result, the Park will undergo a detailed Energy Assessment aimed at identifying practical opportunities to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions and strengthen energy resilience within industrial areas.
The plan is to accelerate low-carbon, energy-positive industrial development.
Denise van Huyssteen, Chief Executive Officer of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber, said South Africa contributes around a third of Africa’s total carbon emissions, with more than 400 industrial spaces playing a significant role in economic activity but also in energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions.
“Many industrial areas face shared challenges, including energy insecurity, ageing infrastructure, high electricity costs and heavy reliance on fossil fuels” she said.
The selection of Perseverance is seen as a significant opportunity to demonstrate how industrial areas can evolve into more sustainable and competitive environments.
“This recognition of the Perseverance Eco-Industrial Park is an important step forward for our metro and for our industrial development agenda. It confirms that Nelson Mandela Bay is ready to participate in global efforts to reimagine how industrial spaces operate in a changing energy environment” she said.
Brenton van Vuuren, Chairperson of the Perseverance Cluster, said the selection of the Perseverance Eco-Industrial Park for the next phase of the UNIDO programme represents a defining milestone not only for the cluster, but for the future of industrial development in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Picture: NCPC-SA.