The chairperson of the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) says the industry is well placed to take advantage of both the 100 MW reform and recent moves to release 36 000 ha of Eskom land in the grid-rich Mpumalanga province to accelerate renewables investments and facilitate a just energy transition from coal. Mercia Grimbeek tells Engineering News that resource measurement campaigns have overturned earlier assessments suggestive of deficient wind resources in the region to show that “a sufficient resource exists in the province for the deployment of wind energy facilities”.
Eskom cut power supply to certain parts of Dlamini in Soweto on Friday after residents allegedly denied them access to the area to install prepaid split meters. Eskom’s senior operations and maintenance manager Mashangu Xivambu said this happened despite the power utility engaging with community leaders and residents about the implementation of the project ahead of time.
President Cyril Ramaphosa was told to cut bureaucracy and focus on fixing the country’s energy crisis if he wants to revive Africa’s most industrialized economy. Water, transport and port services must be “dramatically improved,” the Presidential Economic Advisory Council (PEAC) said in a briefing note submitted to Ramaphosa ahead of his State of The Nation address next month and seen by Bloomberg. Two additional bidding rounds for the provision of renewable energy should be held this year, it said.
Electro-mechanical services and repairs company Marthinusen & Coutts (M&C) performed a significant rewind in 2020 after being contracted by German original-equipment manufacturer (OEM) Voith Hydro to wind the stator of Unit 1 at State-owned power utility Eskom’s Drakensburg hydro pump storage power station near Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal. The massive stator winding contract, which was performed by a winding team from M&C under the supervision of Voith, was the final stage in the refurbishment of three of the station’s four 250 MW motor-generator units. Eskom engaged Voith to refurbish Unit 1.
The JSE has a role to play in creating an enabling environment for more sustainable practices, particularly in terms of South Africa’s transition to using renewable energies, JSE chief sustainability officer Shameela Soobramoney stated at the Southern Africa-Europe CEO Dialogue event hosted in Johannesburg in November. “Given the role that capital markets play in South Africa, coupled with the need for private-sector involvement, it’s obvious how important these are in encouraging more sustainable energy practices. Our socioeconomic issues and inequalities are as important as the environmental challenges that we face, as they are also inextricably linked. There are huge opportunities for a country willing to transition to renewable-energy production in a way that leaves nobody behind,” she explained.
Overcoming energy transmission congestion is vital to stabilise energy supply in South Africa and, to ensure that energy supply meets demand, transmission assessments and upgrades need to be conducted to allow for energy access from resource-rich solar and wind areas, states renewable-energy producer Enel Green Power (EGP RSA) country manager William Price. Energy transmission is similar to traffic, as energy can flow both ways, but the location of the transmission grid in relation to the energy supply and source of energy consumption impacts on the energy flow through the transmission line, he explains.
With a background in electrical engineering, “a knack for business, and a passion for sustainability”, Norwegian global renewables company Scatec Southern Africa GM Jan Fourie has specialised in renewable energy projects for over a decade. He says his love for South Africa and the natural environment is core to his passion for sustainability, noting that his current role at Scatec perfectly encapsulates his three-pronged passions for sustainability, business, and the technical side of large-scale power generation.
The transition to a low or net-zero carbon economy is here. The United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last November called for rapid action to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. This means substantially reducing global greenhouse gas emissions to limit the global temperature increase in this century to not more than 2 °C above preindustrial levels, states strategy consulting organisation EY-Parthenon Africa leader Paul O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty highlights two points. The first is that transitioning to a low-carbon economy will not happen overnight; the second is that the transition must come in the form of a “just transition” – one that secures the future and livelihoods of affected workers and their communities and includes dialogue between workers and their unions, employers, government and communities.
Problems in South Africa’s electricity sector will, sadly, continue to dominate the headlines and undermine growth and confidence in 2022. Despite the fact that the crisis is now deep into its second decade, there is little sign of immediate relief and load-shedding remains a clear and present danger.
Bearings and power transmission supplier Bearings International (BI) is aiming to provide a comprehensive support service for engineering company ABB Africa’s motors this year, which the company now distributes in Southern Africa, says BI business unit leader Stephen Bekker. “We aim to provide comprehensive support for low-voltage ABB motors. This would include covering sales, stock, technical support, application support and spares.”
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