De Ruyter in ‘call to arms’ appeal for cutting of red tape binds on new and existing capacity

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has appealed for an immediate easing of regulatory impediments to the introduction of both immediately available capacity of about 500 MW and the accelerated procurement, or introduction, of the generation capacity required to ease the now constant risk of load-shedding. De Ruyter made this “call to arms” after the utility declared Stage 4 load-shedding at short notice on Tuesday morning and indicated that the rotational cuts would continue until at least Thursday night, owing to high levels of unplanned breakdowns of more than 15 600 MW.
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RMB CEO calls for localisation rules to be waived to catalyse transition to renewables

Financial services firm RMB CEO James Formby says South Africa urgently needs a “megawatts first” policy and that localisation rules, which make renewable energy more expensive, should be waived. Local material content rules increase the cost of wind and solar energy production. Import tariffs, such as those on imported steel, are also making renewable energy more expensive.
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Load-shedding jumps to Stage 4

Eskom has announced that load-shedding has immediately jumped to Stage 4 on Tuesday morning after more generation units failed.  The power utility said the jump from Stage 2 happened at 7:20 after Majuba Unit 5 and Tutuka Unit 4 tripped. 
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Italian Club chooses Bedfordview specialist to keep lights on

The Italian Club Johannesburg, in Bedfordview, has invested about R1-million in the installation of a fully automated 275 kVA generator from privately-owned generator specialist Elegen to power its facilities during electricity outages and load-shedding.   The club researched several companies before choosing Elegen, which is ideally located in Bedfordview, to supply a backup power solution, as it offered to build a generator to specifically meet the club’s needs. 
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QES mobile generators ordered locally

Air, power and flow solutions provider Atlas Copco Power Technique has received orders this year for its QES mobile, plug-and-play generators from local companies, mostly for standby power purposes or for use at manufacturing plants, says Power Technique business development manager Philip du Plessis. Most of the orders received by Power Technique this year for the QES range are for standby power purposes or for use at manufacturing plants.
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Many manufacturers still without backup power

Many local manufacturers still do not have backup power installed, while others lack adequate power solutions to effectively limit the production losses incurred during power outages or load-shedding, says power rental expert Rand-Air, part of the Atlas Copco group. “A lot of companies do not have the right equipment on site to keep their lights on, with some only powering their offices or the critical part of their manufacturing facility to keep certain materials agitated, for example,” explains Rand-Air inland area manager Henry Fourie.
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Generators still reliable, affordable option

Generators will always be an option as long as standby power is needed in South Africa, says generator importer and distributor Smith Power Equipment national product and sales specialist Michele Cicognani. While companies are becoming more aware of alternative standby power options, owing to the global call to reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change, demand for generators is as high as ever in South Africa, he stresses.
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Prompt build of hydrogen economy needed

Amid load-shedding, and a reliance on diesel-fired, open-cycle gas turbine power stations being economically unviable, South Africa’s efforts to build a green hydrogen economy should be accelerated, says National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) president Mdu Mlaba. Green hydrogen does not produce any greenhouse-gas emissions and is expected to replace natural gas on a large scale in about 15 years’ time as the technology advances and becomes more cost effective.
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Many hydrogen opportunities in S Africa

The export of green hydrogen is an opportunity South Africa should capitalise on, as are a number of other hydrogen opportunities that are available, says hydrogen-focused company Hydrogen Energy Applications (HYENA) CEO Niels Luchters. “Hydrogen and fuel cells provide a reliable energy source, as well as reducing carbon emissions when using green hydrogen.”
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Pilot projects can launch hydrogen economy locally

South Africa should move forward with pilot projects to enable the green hydrogen economy to grow on a larger scale, says project integrator and technology provider Green Hydrogen Solutions founder and CEO Ebrahim Takolia. “As more renewable energy comes online from Eskom and distributed energy sources, significant surplus renewable energy can be used with dedicated sources of renewable energy to produce  hydrogen and its derivatives, and at the same time provide long duration storage, improving the business case for renewable energy.”
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