A preliminary analysis by two leading European transmission system operators (TSOs) shows that the capacity of the existing Western Cape grid alone to host variable renewable generators could be doubled under a scenario where no more than 10% curtailment is implemented. Curtailment involves the active reduction of output from wind and solar plants in response to system security needs or temporary transmission capacity constraints and is widely used by system operators to facilitate the introduction of renewable generators in a context of grid constraints.
Industry body the Energy Council of South Africa CEO James Mackay has said there is sufficient reason to believe that loadshedding could end as early as the end of 2024, but warns that South Africa is not on track to meet its decarbonisation targets. Mackay was speaking at the Solutions From the Edge conference, hosted by housing financing organsiation International Housing Solutions and financial institution Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, in Johannesburg, on September 14.
Cabinet was consulted on the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity during its meeting on September 13, but the document will be further consulted and revised before it is released for public comment. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stressed in her post-Cabinet briefing that the document would undergo various iterations and that consultations with the executive represented only the first part of that iterative process.
Special Investigating Unit head Advocate Andy Mothibi says the fact that former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter did not receive board authorisation to commission a private intelligence investigation into criminality and sabotage at the State-owned utility raises potentially grave governance issues. Nevertheless, he stresses that the report’s content “cannot be ignored” and is proving useful in guiding several ongoing investigations. In a presentation to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Mothibi confirmed that George Fivaz Forensics and Risk (GFFR) had been appointed by Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) to conduct the probe in a contract facilitated by De Ruyter, who “was acting on his own”.
Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that he is planning to co-host a seminar with the JSE in September to unpack various financing options for the expansion of South Africa’s electricity grid. Insufficient investment in the transmission system over the past number of years has emerged as a key constraint to the integration of much-needed new generation capacity and is particularly acute in regions with high-calibre wind and solar resources such as the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces.
Power utility Eskom reports that nine people were arrested at the Kusile power station on September 7 for theft of coal and fraud. Eight of the nine were weighbridge operators employed by Eskom Rotek Industries (ERI), with the ninth being a coal truck driver.
Rugby fans can expect slightly fewer interruptions to their TV time this weekend, with scheduled power cuts expected to ease a little from early on Saturday morning. This follows the implementation of Stage 6 when Eskom recently suffered several breakdowns at the same time as it ramped up maintenance.
The pressing need for effective energy storage systems has become undeniable owing to the severe energy crisis marked by an unreliable power supply and frequent, at times, daily loadshedding. In this challenging landscape, the Row Pow Energy Storage System emerges as a solution to the power crisis, offering innovative features and remarkable benefits for businesses and households.
Solar energy company SunSource Solutions remains committed to not only providing immediate solutions to South Africa’s energy challenges but also contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. By promoting the adoption of solar energy, the company aims to reduce carbon emissions and decrease the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
Lighting manufacturer BEKA Schréder has supplied its solar lighting highmast the SOLARFLOOD solution for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, along a stretch of Stanford road in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, in June. This installation is the result of the municipality’s initiative to keep cables out of the reach of thieves through its highmast solar lighting pilot programme.
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