Over a billion people on the African continent either have no access or only limited access to energy, while South Africa faces electricity supply constraints. Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric, says it has always been in the business of developing energy efficient products.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has appointed the highly experience Smunda Mokoena as chairperson of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). The appointment became effective on October 20 and Mokoena’s term is expected to continue until September 13, 2024.
Ongoing analysis and work done by various groups into the so-called Just Energy Transition (JET) points to the potential creation of 300 000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in South Africa’s electricity sector over the next decade, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said on October 22.
He added that this figure was over and above accounting for job losses in the coal sector as a result of the looming shuttering of some coal-fired power generation units.
The South African government is set to establish a high-level technical workstream, which will work under the direction of a Cabinet subcommittee, to evaluate possible concessional finance offers that could be made in support of the country’s just energy transition strategy. The workstream is yet to be formally assembled, but Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says it will include finance specialists from the National Treasury, the Department of Public Enterprises, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Eskom and possibly others.
South African Breweries (SAB) will soon produce its Castle Lite beer using renewable electricity, which will reduce the electricity drawn from the grid and reduce interruptions to production. Further, SAB is committed to fully switching to renewable energy sources by 2025.
Construction and equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and equipment distribution multinational Tractafric have installed 7.5 MW of battery energy storage capacity at gold miner Barrick Gold’s Kibali mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Tractafric solution is operational and deploys the battery energy storage and Caterpillar bi-directional power inverters (BDP) to provide grid stability. The Caterpillar Master Microgrid Controller seamlessly integrates up to 45 MW of power generated by three hydroelectric power stations and 36 Caterpillar 3512 diesel generator sets.
The Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM), which was approved by Cabinet on September 14, provides a “clear indication” of how hydrogen and fuel cell technologies could be a “game changer” for the South African economy, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande noted during the Hydrogen Economy Indaba – Series 3 event on October 21. He added, however, that, before South African could derive the full benefits of a hydrogen economy, several challenges had to be overcome.
Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the final countdown to COP26, the South African government’s negotiating stance and its plans to canvass a just energy transition financing facility.
The South African economy will benefit from the recent change in regulation that enables private organisations to invest in larger power-generation infrastructure, says natural gas producer Renergen. “The economy will benefit through the upfront monetary expenditure by private companies on power generation equipment, and the money paid to external service providers to install such equipment, as opposed to paying for grid power,” says Renergen CEO Stefano Marani.
Energy storage solutions are a viable approach in assisting with embedded-electricity solutions, and one such solution is using repurposed electric vehicle (EV) battery cells, battery equipment supplier REVOV tells Engineering News. “Automotive-grade cells are manufactured specifically for use in the harsh environment of a motor vehicle. This includes being mobile, as well as being subjected to continuous vibrations, high temperatures and high charge and discharge currents to optimise charge time versus distance versus speed,” explains REVOV MD Lance Dickerson.
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