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Will grid, logistics and construction constraints stymie urgent wind energy ramp-up?

In light of ongoing grid constraints, some wind industry practitioners are warning that only about 2 GW of the 3.2 GW wind allocation in Bid Window Six (BW6) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) is likely to be taken up, given that lower-priced solar photovoltaic projects could absorb a portion of the remaining available network in the key wind provinces of the Eastern and Western Cape. There are also warnings that South Africa’s logistics and …
October 28, 2022 by

Amendment Bill to realise embedded capacity

The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill is expected to realise significant local embedded generation capacity growth by removing the cap on the licensing threshold, but the current version of South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is a limiting factor. The amendment of Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act (ERA) that lifted the licensing threshold from 1 MW to 100 MW had an enormous impact on the local electricity supply industry when it came into effect in August last year, says law firm Webber Wentzel partner Jason van der Poel. 
October 28, 2022 by

Windaba panel asks: Jobs first, or energy first?

Manufacturing is responsible for only one-third of jobs within the wind energy sector, says Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy Africa area director Marcel Cabral. Speaking at Windaba 2022, held earlier this month, during a panel discussion around localisation in the wind sector, Cabral noted that the other two-thirds revolved around the development, construction, running and maintenance of wind farms, and that “South Africa has all the resources for that”.
October 28, 2022 by

Loadshedding impacting on embedded generation uptake

While loadshedding is driving the uptake of embedded electricity solutions, it is also deemed obstructive by renewable-energy solutions company Solareff, owing to the financial implications for clients seeking to invest in large, industrial rooftop or ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. “We need our clients to be in a financially sound position and loadshedding has a negative effect on most clients’ finances. However, demand is substantial in light of the continued intermittent power supply and the high cost of electricity, as companies are now realising that embedded solar generation is the most cost-effective option,” Solareff CEO Jaco Botha tells Engineering News.
October 28, 2022 by

CoCT ahead in SSEG capacity locally

While the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT’s) small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) capacity is ahead of the curve compared with other local municipalities, there is still a lot of work to be done, says CoCT Energy MMC Councillor Beverley van Reenen. “With State-owned power utility Eskom’s incredibly precarious position, every bit helps, but SSEG’s impact on the electricity supply deficit would be greater at household level if households have storage capacity. If the SSEG uptake country-wide is drastically upscaled, it holds the potential to reduce the demand on the grid.
October 28, 2022 by

Eskom’s new grid plan says 53 GW of new generation must be connected by 2032

Eskom’s latest Transmission Development Plan (TDP2022) includes assumptions that deviate materially from those contained in the outdated Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP2019) and points to the need for a significant acceleration in grid-related investments to facilitate the integration of 53 GW of new, mostly renewables, generation capacity over the next ten years. Covering the period from 2023 to 2032, the latest edition of the plan, which is published yearly, points to the need for the construction of 14 218 km of new high-voltage transmission lines over the period.
October 27, 2022 by

Eskom’s proposed tariff restructuring to impede renewable energy investment – Steyn

Eskom’s proposal to restructure renewable energy tariffs will impede growth in private sector investment in renewable energy projects and destroy intentions to wheel surplus energy through Eskom’s grid, as doing so will hold little financial gain, Meridian Economics MD Grove Steyn has said.

Speaking at public hearings held by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on October 27, he said that, despite the need to balance Eskom’s revenue collection efforts with the need for a rapid rollout of renewable energy projects, the issue of restructuring tariffs was “very complex” and that loadshedding was the most pressing issue that needed to be resolved in the immediate term.

October 27, 2022 by

South Africa sees climate pact spurring billions in new funding

South Africa expects an $8.5-billion climate-finance package that it’s negotiating with some of the world’s richest nations to attract significant additional funds to help it transition away from using coal to generate electricity. The government is discussing a wide-ranging energy transition plan for the next five years with the UK, US, Germany, France and the European Union as a step toward securing the funds, which will pay for part of the needed investment laid out in the proposal, according to Daniel Mminele, a former central banker appointed to lead the talks for South Africa.
October 27, 2022 by