Longyuan SA Renewables Publishing Its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility Report
Longyuan South Africa Renewables, a subsidiary of China Longyuan and China Energy, which is the world’s largest wind power developer, has recently issued and published its 2020 corporate social responsibility report in South Africa.
China Energy in South Africa, management of sustainable development objectives, the speed of green power in the decade, China built South Africa's dream, responsibility sharing, win-win cooperation, and other topics are covered in the study.
Longyuan Mulilo De Aar Wind Power Projects are the first wind projects in Africa which combine investment, construction, and operation by a Chinese state-owned power company. The projects, which total 244.5MW and are located around De Aar Town in South Africa's Northern Cape Province, have a total investment of nearly ZAR 5 billion, and the Longyuan Mulilo De Aar II North project is one of the country's largest operating wind projects.
The projects can supply 760 million kWh of clean electricity every year, resulting in the saving of 215,800 tons of standard coal and reducing 619,900 tons of carbon dioxide emission, satisfying the power demand of 300,000 households, therefore making positive contributions to the local energy structure adjustment and clean and low-carbon development.
CHASING WIND IN THE RAINBOW NATION, PURSUING VALUE CREATION
Longyuan Power, as the world's largest wind power developer and operator, takes advantage of Africa's vast renewable energy resources, chasing the wind across thousands of miles and sending a green development wave to South Africa, vividly interpreting the "Belt and Road" spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and tolerance, mutual learning and using for reference, mutual benefit, and win-win situations.
With safe and stable operation of the two De Aar Projects, the Company has made every effort to carry out development work and sought future development. In 2020, the Company's production and operation was healthy and stable. The annual power generation capacity was 750 GWh, the wind turbine available hours were 3,075 hours, the availability was more than 99%.
The Chinese and SA employees of Longyuan SA have firmly signed the Letter in 2020, while confronting the joint problem of the Covid-19 epidemic with the rest of humanity. Employees have actively responded to the concerns of local power supply shortages and inconsistent power supply in South Africa by doing their own preventative and control job flawlessly.
The building of the project and its following activities has become new engines fueling South Africa's local economic growth. The annual expenditure on ED/SED related to the revitalization of the BEE economy obligations is around 15 million rand; approximately 100 jobs are provided annually during the operation period; 2.7 billion rand in localized procurement was realized during the construction period of the two projects; 700 job opportunities were created by the projects during the capital construction period; and all of the project's construction contractors are South African companies.
The project has achieved continuous and safe operation after it reached COD. It has delivered 2.4 TWh of clean electricity to South Africa as well as has provided strong impetus to South Africa’s economic development by end of 2020.
In African culture, there is a wise proverb, "We Do Not Inherit the Earth from Our Ancestors; We Borrow It from Our Children." While bringing clean energy to South Africa, Longyuan SA has always upheld its professional attitude and sense of responsibility for environmental protection in South Africa.
In 2020, Longyuan SA had commissioned a professional environmental consulting company, NCC, to conduct two on-site environmental impact assessment audits to check the compliance of project operation with relevant environmental impact assessment requirements and regulations.
A total of 270 items were inspected for the De Aar Projects. The inspection results had showed that they had met all the environmental impact assessment requirements of the environmental protection department, the Company’s environmental protection system was sound and there was no need for improvement in the environmental protection field.
CHASING LIGHT IN THE CITY OF SUN, CONTINUING ITS STABLE OPERATION
Longyuan SA vigorously fulfills its social responsibilities in South Africa, balances the demands of multiple interests to the greatest extent, and becomes stronger and bigger in this rich and beautiful land, so that it achieves steady development and long-lasting business in South Africa with its responsible operation.
In 2020, the Company issued the first Social Responsibility Report for South Africa according to high standards, sharing the wisdom and struggles of clean green electricity helping realize the dream of "rainbow" from a local perspective. The Company’s case "The Green Electricity Lights up the Rainbow Nation" was rated as an excellent case of the category "Overseas Social Responsibility" in the overseas image building of Chinese enterprises in 2020.
Longyuan SA has set up four international social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube to provide information about the company's responsible performance, tell the company's narrative in a more comprehensive way, and represent China. The total number of followers across the four platforms was 309,000 as of December 31, 2020.
Longyuan SA implements a "hierarchical authorization" mechanism for safety work in strict compliance with laws and regulations such as South Africa's "Occupational Health and Safety Regulations" and other related management regulations of the Group company, forms a gradual transfer of safety management and responsibilities among enterprise management through this hierarchical authorization, appoints full-time HSE managers to ensure that the safety management system is a success, and appoints full-time HSE managers to ensure that the safety management system
"If you want to go fast, walk alone; and if you want to go far, walk together". After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, Longyuan SA has established a close communication mechanism with the governments and relevant health departments of Northern Cape Province and Cape Town on the basis of its own pandemic prevention and protection as well as securing the local power supply to ensure timely support. As of May 10 of 2020, Longyuan SA has donated 3.48 million ZAR to all levels of governments, health departments, hospitals and communities in South Africa.
CHASING DREAMS IN THE FORTUNE, BUILDING A HARMONIOUS COMMUNITY IN HAPPINESS
Longyuan SA places a high value on basic education in South Africa, nurturing the "flower of hope" for the continent's future. Every year, the Company insists on carrying out the "Aid for Education; Building Dreams, Developing Talents" education action to help children realize their dreams, and has donated funds to the National School of the Arts in South Africa to alleviate school operation difficulties; developed scholarship programs to donate 4 million ZAR every year to subsidize 40 poor college students with excellent academic performance in the Northern Cape Province to finish their studies, As a result, the South African Ministry of Energy has heaped praise and attention on it.
“I almost gave up my dream, but I was so eager to be a good engineer. Longyuan South Africa gave me wings of the ideal so that I can grow and develop more smoothly. I believe that other funded students will also remember the kindness from Chinese enterprises, and the good deeds of Chinese enterprises will certainly make the world better." Deswin, a beneficiary college student who completed his studies with the assistance of Longyuan SA.
Since entering South Africa, Longyuan SA has established and operated four early childhood education centers for the local community, donated six classrooms and associated teaching facilities, and a total of more than 320 local children in need have been admitted to school.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa, the Company has also purchased food for children of the early education center to eat at school and at home. In addition, Longyuan SA has carried out early education activities for children in the surrounding areas of the project, mainly for poor children or children with mental or physical disabilities, nurtured the children to grow into talents and established a good Chinese corporate image in the local area.
Longyuan SA is concerned about the health and well-being of the local people. It has offered help to two local nursing homes that was difficult to operate, providing food and bedding for the elderly; wheelchairs, clothing, food, medicine and other necessities for the disabled in the local community; free medical examination services for the local community residents to improve their health state.
The first day of December 2020 was designated as "World AIDS Day." Longyuan SA actively supports initiatives in the Northern Cape Province, such as hosting lectures, free testing, contests, and prize-winning games, with the hopes of combining AIDS prevention with broader medical care and pandemic response to offer services for local inhabitants.
Longyuan SA has been actively implementing the "Belt and Road" Initiative, earnestly fulfilling the obligations of Chinese enterprises overseas, providing sincere assistance to South Africa, and responding to South African people’s expectations for a better life with practical actions. During the 20-year operation period of the project, about 15 million rand will be spent annually to support public welfare undertakings in the local community.
The De Aar Stadium, which was built with the help of Longyuan SA, was officially handed over to the local municipality in April 2021. The De Aar Stadium was outdated prior to the repair. Longyuan SA, in response to the demands of the De Aar Regional Football Association, overcame the challenges posed by the epidemic and ensured that the stadium was refurbished to first-class standards.
The renovated stadium includes a football field, four netball courts and other facilities such as stands and locker rooms with a total investment of about 9 million rand. Longyuan SA has been committed to supporting the development of local sports and has sponsored more than 40 men's football clubs and 13 women's football clubs, benefiting more than 900 athletes in total.
"The appeal will inevitably be answered and resonated. Certainly, the cause will develop smoothly, and everyone will become like-minded." The destiny of the people of the world has never been so closely linked as it is today. As an important force in building a community with a shared future for mankind, Longyuan Power of CHN Energy will continue to practice its economic and social responsibilities overseas, focus on its main business of clean energy, connecting with the development of South Africa in six aspects such as sharing responsibilities, win-win cooperation, happiness sharing, cultural prosperity sharing, safety co-construction and harmonious coexistence in order to consolidate the "Belt and Road" Initiative and make it steady and far-reaching.