Author Archive for: Engineering News

Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are becoming a key part of Africa’s transition to renewable energy, as it helps make the power grid more stable, flexible and secure across a continent that is still facing infrastructure and policy challenges, says renewable-energy company Enel Green Power. Battery systems are vital for connecting renewable sources, such as solar and wind, to national grids, with BESS technology providing the balancing power needed for renewables to meet increased electricity demand, without affecting grid reliability.

Following consultations with the Department of Energy and Electricity (DEE) on an initiative to procure new grid infrastructure from private consortiums, local Industry has again urged government to specify minimum percentages of locally sourced products and services for the upcoming procurement of Independent Transmission Projects (ITPs). In a joint statement, the Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa, the Power Line Association of South Africa and the Manufacturing Circle highlighted that the country’s existing transmission infrastructure had been delivered by local contractors and manufacturers, and that this capability remained largely intact.

A new study that assesses the investments required to achieve electricity security in South Africa by 2050 while also meeting the country’s decarbonisation goals has reaffirmed that the least-cost way of meeting the two objectives would be by pursuing a so-called ‘green industrialisation pathway’ – one where up to 85% of South Africa’s electricity is generated from renewable energy, supported by flexible gas, as well as battery and pumped-hydro storage. Produced by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA), the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC), the National Planning Commission (NPC), and the National Treasury-linked Southern Africa Toward Inclusive Economic Development programme, the report is titled ‘South Africa’s Energy Sector Investment Requirements to Achieve Energy Security and Net Zero by 2050’.

The Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) has welcomed government’s recent approval and release of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2025 and the revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2035, describing them as key milestones in South Africa’s commitment to energy security and climate action. The two policy documents form part of the country’s long-term strategy to meet electricity demand, while addressing climate change under the Paris Agreement, with the revised NDC submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) have signed a new memorandum of understanding under which the two State institutions will explore co-investment prospects. A previous partnership framework, which expired in December 2017, culminated in the conclusion of the PIC Green Bond and the UIF Fund 2.