Amid an ongoing energy crisis and a global transition towards renewable energy, a significant need for battery energy storage systems (BESSs) has emerged in South Africa as a potential solution to help ease grid constraints. “Consequently, loadshedding has sparked an uptake in demand for BESS in the commercial, industrial, residential and large utility sectors,” says energy management and automation company Schneider Electric cluster automation director Dwibin Thomas.
Global engineering, procurement and operation company USP&E is providing various battery energy storage systems (BESSs) for South Africa to address rolling blackouts amid local energy constraints and an increasing need for renewable-energy deployment. The projects entail deploying advanced battery technologies, coupled with solar and wind power installations, to capture and store excess energy during peak generation periods, and release energy during high-demand periods or when renewable-energy sources are unavailable.
Amid a widening energy generation deficit, brought on by the declining performance of State-owned utility Eskom’s coal fleet, economics consultancy Meridian Economics energy analyst Dr Peter Klein argues that numerous forms of new generation and storage capacity are urgently needed to reduce loadshedding. “As the intensity of loadshedding has escalated, we have moved away from being short of generation capacity for limited periods, to loadshedding throughout the day,” he says.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe reports that government is in the process of developing a critical minerals strategy for South Africa, which will seek to support green-economy value chains domestically and abroad. Speaking at the Northern Cape Mining and Energy Investment Conference, Mantashe reported that government was monitoring global developments around critical minerals, which he termed a “new theatre of global economic struggle” to ensure that the strategy supported South Africa’s industrialisation aspirations.
South Africa’s plan to provide its struggling power utility debt relief and potentially write off municipalities’ arrears to Eskom Holdings will ultimately improve liquidity and cut funding risks for the government, according to Moody’s Investors Service. The proposed R254-billion of relief announced in February’s budget is aimed at strengthening Eskom’s balance sheet and covering all interest payments over the next three years, provided it brings in private partners to help operate its plants and the electricity transmission network.
Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has, on behalf of the South African government, signed a joint declaration for the planned establishment of a South African-German Hydrogen Task Force that will help to drive the commercial viability of green hydrogen projects, industry and infrastructure in both countries. German Vice Chancellor and Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action Robert Habeck signed the declaration on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany during a bi-national commission held in South Africa this week.
A World Bank Group-funded effort to increase train access to a power plant in South Africa’s coal-rich region has started to significantly backslide as criminals target the country’s rail system. Development of a 68-kilometer route between Ermelo, east of Johannesburg, and Eskom Holdings’s Majuba power station started over a decade ago to replace the continuous flow of trucks delivering coal to the plant. Once completed, the rail line will be cheaper, faster and more environmentally friendly, according to the World Bank.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has postponed the bid submission date for the public procurement of battery energy storage systems (BESS) from July 5 to August 2. The postponement was confirmed on June 27, along with confirmation that compulsory bid registration, including the payment of a registration fee, had been extended to July 7.
Electrical equipment and services supplier Actom will take over a low-voltage product manufacturing facility in Kenya from existing technology partner Schneider Electric as part of Actom’s industrial expansion into East Africa. CEO Mervyn Naidoo says the company is planning to establish industrial hubs in East, West and eventually North Africa, which will provide a platform for the broader portfolio of the company’s products and services in these regions.
Eskom’s newly released Interim Grid Capacity Allocation Rules (IGCAR), formulated in response to surging demand for grid access in a context of acute grid scarcity, have received a cool reception from industry, with some of the conditions included in the new framework being viewed as “onerous”. GM for operations enablement Velaphi Ntuli says the IGCAR, which have been developed and canvassed over the past six months, have been designed to ensure that shovel-ready generation projects are given priority.
INDUSTRY NEWS
- IMF urges South Africa to prioritise ongoing electricity and logistics reform to enhance …November 27, 2024 - 5:04 pm
- Eskom reports successful conversion of its prepaid customer base to KRN 2November 27, 2024 - 12:04 pm
- Eskom welcomes S&P rating upgrade to positive from stableNovember 27, 2024 - 11:04 am
WHERE TO FIND US
Address
9 Yellow Street
Botshabelo Industrial Area
Botshabelo, Free State
Call / Email Us
Tel: +27 (0) 51 534 1651
Email: info@transfix.co.za
