South Africans have been battered by power shortages for several years. These have worsened to the point that towards the end of 2022 the country’s electricity utility, Eskom, had only half of its power generation capacity operational.

This has forced Eskom to escalate its rotational power cuts. By mid-January 2023, users were typically without electricity for 8 to 10 hours a day.

The situation is unlikely to improve much in the short to medium term.

It’s expected that this year, especially as power demand increases in winter, the country’s electricity supply will decline to the point where power may sometimes be available for only 12 hours a day.

Nor is the situation expected to improve in the medium to long term. The national electricity utility is in a precarious financial situation.

The result is that South Africans are increasingly being forced to explore alternative sources of electricity.

From big companies down to small households, entities are even considering whether it is possible to disconnect from the Eskom grid entirely and produce all their electricity in-house.
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Fifteen years ago South Africans had access to abundant electricity at some of the cheapest pricing in the world.

But since then electricity tariffs have skyrocketed at an average of four times the inflation rate.

Factories, mines, farms, businesses and individuals are now choosing to reduce their dependence on Eskom’s network by supplementing their electricity with in-house power generation.

While this lowers demand on the Eskom power supply, the level at which this has been happening so far is insufficient to substantially reduce power cuts.

The construction of larger private solar plants, already initiated by some bigger entities, as well as the growing interest in rooftop solar in residential areas, will gradually be felt. But this too will not stop power cuts completely.

Some entities may go as far as cutting themselves off from Eskom entirely. How feasible is this?

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UN Climate Change News, 18 January 2023 – The uptake of renewable energy is moving faster and further than projected but radical action is still needed to accelerate the energy transition.

Speaking at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Assembly in Abu Dhabi last weekend, Stiell said the positive outcomes from last November’s UN Climate Change Conference COP27 give the world enormous opportunity to make progress, starting now.

“It requires the cooperation of every single country represented in this room,” said Stiell. “All Parties must come together in order to achieve the level of ambition needed to get to where we need to go, and we have a lot of work to do to get there.

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​There is reason for optimism when it comes to renewable energy because renewables are moving further and faster than projected. Here are just a few examples:

Renewable electricity capacity additions have been outpacing those of non-renewables since 2014.
 
The International Energy Agency’s (IEA) Renewables Outlook complements this, noting that renewables are set to account for over 90% of global electricity capacity expansion in the next five years and that renewables will become the largest source of global electricity generation by early 2025, surpassing coal.
 
In Europe alone, the IEA estimates that the continent’s renewable electricity expansion will double over the 2022-2027 period as energy security concerns add to climate ambitions.
 
Worldwide renewable energy employment reached 12.7 million last year, a jump of 700,000 new jobs in one year. Solar energy was found to be the fastest-growing sector. In 2021 it provided 4.3 million jobs, more than a third of the current global renewable workforce.

But there is also reason for frustration. As IRENA pointed out in its submission to the global stocktake, regardless of increased ambition expressed by countries at the last two COPs, current climate pledges and overall finance to support the shift to renewables remains insufficient.

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From Alex Lenferna - 350Africa.org

Thank you to everyone who supported our Mandela Day march to the presidency demanding an emergency renewable energy plan. Whether you took to the streets, signed the petition, or helped spread the word, we value your support and role in the movement.

One week after our march, the president announced his energy plan[1]. It had some good, some bad, and some complicated elements in it[2]. The good news is renewable energy was front and centre as the key to solving our interconnected energy and climate crisis.

Thanks to everyone who has continued pushing for a renewable energy future. Due in large part to the continued and collective efforts of our movement, polluting, harmful, and expensive energy options like new coal featured nowhere in the president’s energy plan. 

There is much that is worthy of celebration in the president’s plan, like incentivising rooftop solar, doubling renewable energy in the next bid window, and Eskom’s plans to manufacture solar and storage. There are also several  things we worry about, like the role of gas, the possible fast-tracking of powerships, and the lack of policies to encourage progressive, socially owned renewable energy. 

Some bad news is that the same minister who failed to deliver on the last emergency energy plan will be in charge of delivering on large parts of this plan, namely, Minister Mantashe and his dysfunctional Department of Mineral Resources & Energy (DMRE). We know that he will continue to push for polluting and expensive energy projects that put the profits of an elite few over people and the planet. 

So, now that the president’s plan is out, we cannot afford to become passive. There’s a lot more work to be done in ensuring a rapid and just transition to renewable energy that provides safe, clean and affordable energy for all. Now is the time to push even harder for the energy future we want. Let’s keep up the pressure until we have built an energy future that delivers on climate and energy justice!

Onwards,

Alex on behalf of the Climate Justice Coalition.

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Johannesburg executive mayor Mpho Phalatse said to date South Africans across all municipalities have installed an estimated 200MW of rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems, according to the energy regulator Nersa.

She was speaking on the first day of the Joburg Energy Indaba where the city and independent power producers (IPPs) are in conversation about the need to add alternative power to the grid.

The city plans to add 500MW of gas and solar energy to supplement coal power.  

Last year the city said it was looking to add 200MW of electricity from photovoltaic farms and rooftop suppliers, 200MW of private photovoltaic electricity generation to the grid, 50MW of gas-powered electricity generation and 25MW capacity from waste in the Robinson Deep landfill site.

As an example of how this translates, a presenter at the indaba, Justin Ward, the technical manager for First National Battery, said 1MW would power 164 houses.

Phalatse said bringing independent power producers (IPPs) online would take 18-36 months.

“As wholesale electricity tariffs rise, we can expect more rooftop PV systems to be installed. This threatens to reduce the city’s energy revenues, and we are best advised to be proactive in providing alternative energy solutions for our residents.

“The adoption of storage technologies based on battery systems or other options continues to grow as they become relatively cost-effective. Small-scale embedded generation through biomass, biogas and municipal waste are areas holding great potential for creating a circular economy around waste management, but we have hardly seen investment of sizeable quantity in that space.”

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The Development Bank of Southern Africa, (DBSA) is inviting all private sector entities and energy developers to submit proposals in response to South Africa’s Embedded Generation Investment Programme (EGIP).

EGIP seeks to provide first loss facilities and Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment funding to support the implementation of embedded generation renewable energy projects in South Africa. The projects under EGIP will be implemented by private sector entities (in their capacity as Independent Power Producers and/or off-takers) and local municipalities (acting primarily as off-takers). The underlying Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) under EGIP are not expected to be underpinned by Government Guarantees. A facility of approximately U$D200 million has been secured to implement solar photovoltaic and wind renewable energy projects in South Africa. “EGIP will crowd-in funding from various funders to kick start a new market for embedded generation in South Africa”, said Mpho Mokwele, Head: Project Finance at the DBSA.

The Call for Proposals follows a recent announcement by the President that embedded energy generation projects of up to 100MW will be exempted from applying for energy generation licenses.

The Call for Proposals opens on 4 August 2021 and will close on 31 September 2021. The link to submit proposals may be accessed here: https://www.dbsa.org/embedded-generation-investment-programme

Applications will be assessed through a competitive process, specifically targeting projects that are in advanced stages of development. The DBSA has the sole discretion to respond to multiple agency objectives in making its selection, including climate impact and gender mainstreaming potential for the project.

For more information about the EGIP, visit https://www.dbsa.org/embedded-generation-investment-programme

Solar has been hailed as one of the breakthrough solutions that will drive economic development in Africa. Experts have identified stand-alone solar as a cost-effective solution to the electrification challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where 548 million people still live without electricity [1]. In recognition of this, governments in countries like Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia and Malawi have added solar home systems (SHS) to their national electrification plans. Some of these governments have gone ahead to roll out programmes like the Solar Naija that aims to reach 5 million people with SHS and promote local assembly for the same.

The largest addressable markets for SHS in SSA are found in Nigeria and Ethiopia where 77 million and 60 million people respectively, do not have access to electricity. Other significant markets are found in Tanzania – 35 million people and Uganda – 32 million people, who lack electricity [2]. The total unelectrified population for Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe stands at 51 million people.
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Despite these prospects, the stand-alone solar sector, like all other sectors, was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Sales for SHS in different SSA countries dropped by 28% – 49% between December 2019 and June 2020. In Senegal, the decrease was mainly on cash sales while pay-as-you-go (PAYG) remained stable. Due to measures put in place to contain the pandemic, economic activity in SSA was projected to decline by 3.3% in 2020. The World Bank estimates that 40 million people are likely to slide into extreme poverty in Africa [3]. This means the progress that had been made with energy access in the continent will be affected and the number of people who cannot afford SAS will increase. Consequently, governments, investors, and development partners need to collaborate to address the affordability constraints for consumers and avail relief funding for SAS companies [4],[5].

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​In order to address the issue of shack fires, mostly caused by burning candles or faulty electrical connections, a young Namibian entrepreneur established Mushi BioPower Solar Namibia, a company that offers solar-powered electrical equipment.
The company’s founder and CEO Pontianus Mukishi (35) told Youth Corner he brought the services and products closer to informal settlements and rural communities who need it most.

“I am passionate about helping Namibians and enabling them to get access to clean light – and that is the way to go right now. Every person should have access to clean light and we should do away with burning houses. What’s even better is there is minimal spending if they buy the available products; they get to save money for a long time,” highlighted Mukishi.

The shop, which was launched on Saturday, is situated in the heart of the Goreangab residential area in the Samora Machel constituency.
Products include solar panels, lamps, batteries, cables, connectors, streetlights, and systems that can operate fridges, radios televisions and fans.

The shop comes at an opportune time when Namibia aims to produce 70% of its energy from renewable energy sources by 2030.
With an average of 10 hours of sunshine per day, Namibia is one of the world’s sunniest countries that have enormous potential for solar energy, yet 60% of the country’s energy is imported from neighbouring countries – and 40% of its population is disconnected from the grid.
Before roping in other youths, Mushi did pilots of the project in Katima Mulilo, Rundu, Ondangwa and Omuthiya.
“We understood what the people needed; that’s how we decided to also come to the city, where we established an office in Goreangab,” he explained.

Other youthful members of the team are Agnes Erasmus, Martha Fernandes and head of operations Kristian Nantinda.
“The education campaign is important; you need to know how to manoeuvre and it’s only this year we decided to fully introduce the product to the potential consumers. It’s a new product,” added Nantinda.

In a speech read on his behalf, councillor of Samora Machel Nestor Kalola said the project came at the right time, encouraging the use of solar products to minimise damages caused by fire.

 Kalola could not attend the launch because he had to inspect a burning shack in the Havana informal settlement. 
Shack fires have been making headlines in the past years, with causes being mainly attributed to the use of candles and other unsafe lighting systems in the informal settlements. 

“Our office always receives calls and messages of burning shacks in the area. Opening this establishment and offering such products comes at the right time, as it is a way of contributing to the development of the community and it addresses something that hugely affects the youth – unemployment. So, I am happy that this is happening, expressed Kalola.
- psiririka@nepc.com.na

It's now clear that renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification must be the drivers of the deep decarbonization we need.
New analysis from IRENA finds that renewables are now the cheapest form of energy - and capacity is set to rise significantly over the next few decades.
Addressing climate change requires us to decarbonize both energy supply and demand by 2050. The US, Europe and China have committed to net zero or carbon neutrality by mid-century. Others are following suit. This will have a profound effect on the global energy transition, placing electricity as a key vector in decarbonizing the entire energy sector.

The latest insights from IRENA’s World Energy Transitions Outlook were released on 16 March at the Berlin Energy Transitions Dialogue. It provides in-depth analysis of what these effects will look like, starting from the Paris Climate agreement objective of limiting climate change to well below 2˚C and with an effort for 1.5˚C by the end of this century. While several options are being considered for a deep decarbonization, it is clear that renewable energy, energy efficiency and electrification are at the centre of the global energy transition.

While climate change mitigation is a powerful driver behind the shift away from fossil fuel-based power generation, this is not the only driver. At the same time, renewable power has become the cheapest form of electricity generation and the costs continue to fall thanks to improvements in technology and economies of scale. The share of renewable power continue to rise from year to year, with nearly 30% renewables in the global power mix at present and renewables dominating yearly capacity additions (see Figure 1, below).

The operation of power systems with a high share of variable renewables requires much higher flexibility. Today, dispatchable fossil plants (that is, plants that can genereta electricity on demand) provide that flexibility, but this will change going forward as their role declines. IRENA has identified 30 options for increasing flexibility across four main pillars: hardware, markets and regulations, and operational practices and business models (see figure 2, below). This toolkit of options must be deployed in the context of each power system’s specific characteristics. Especially the demand side offers interesting possibilities, as the electrification trend results in new loads connected to the system -such as electric vehicles, behind-the-meter batteries and heat pumps- which if operated smartly can support grid balancing. This is helped by rapid digitalization of power systems. Time-of-use pricing, aggregators, Demand Side Management are some of the strategies that benefit from digitalization and smart grids continue to expand worldwide. Still many transmission and distribution grids will require expansion and upgrading in order to deal with the new power system realities.

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DURBAN - Postgraduate students from universities across Africa have been called to showcase their skills and present innovations that could help develop the power and energy sector.

The Initiate Young Talent Challenge, a project from Clarion Events in partnership with the Enlit Africa event, will give postgraduate students a chance to exhibit their skills during a digital conference in June.
The exhibition will take place from June 8 to 9 this year.
“This is their chance to disrupt the industry with innovative and new ways of thinking. This is a unique not-to-be-missed opportunity to not only shape their future but also to start establishing a sound and professional personal brand, taking their careers to the next level,” said Nazlee Fredericks, leader of the Initiate project, in a statement over the weekend.
Initiate has partnered with many organisations including the BRICS Youth Energy Agency, University of Cape Town, Stellenbosch University, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the South African Renewable Energy Business Incubator, South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) and the Circle of Global Business Women (CGBW).

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Interested student participants can apply online before being vetted by an advisory board and an expert panel of judges from the industry.
“The top selections will then go through to the final round of challenges that takes place during the Enlit Africa digital event from 8 to 10 June,” Fredericks explained.
Winners of the event will be awarded a mentorship programme from industry experts, as well as access to an executive network within the industry.
PhD candidate at UCT and former finalist of the Initiate programme Carol Ngwenya said that the project provides a much-needed opportunity for those looking to get ahead in the energy sector.
“The Initiate Young Talent Challenge not only challenges you to come up with practical energy solutions to the energy crisis that the continent is faced with,” Ngwenya said.
During the previous Initiate Young Talent Challenge in May 2019, a team of four Kenyan students took first prize with their innovative product called Kijiji, a solar-powered container producing essential services and empowering rural communities.

The Initiate Digital Exhibition Hub has also given small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs) a chance to showcase their development of products in the energy sector.

There are currently 10 spaces available for SMMEs and they, too, can apply for entrance online.

“We’re looking for fresh faces, fresh ideas and lots of talent,” Fredericks said.

The Minerals Council South Africa (MCSA) supports further regulatory reforms to streamline the process of regulatory approval and licensing of self-generation electricity projects from a ‘red tape’ situation towards a ‘smart tape’ situation that will enable shorter timelines and a less bureaucratic approach. Should we achieve this, then South Africa will see more projects like the 40 MW solar plant that was announced by Gold Fields.

Says Minerals Council CEO, Roger Baxter:
“Since 2008, very rapid increases in electricity prices along with the unreliability of electricity supply have been the two largest contributing factors not only affecting existing large scale mining operations, but also impacting on the downstream processing and ferro-alloy production industries. The critical question is – what are we doing to encourage self-generation in the country and the economy?”

Self-generation projects have the potential to contribute significantly towards easing electricity supply constraints in South Africa while at the same time improving the competitiveness of the mining sector by reducing the cost of electricity and the industry’s carbon footprint.

Currently, 17 self-generation projects with capacity to generate 2.4 GW of electricity, at various stages of completion within the regulatory process, are underway by Minerals Council members. Of these, 12 projects with capacity to generate 1.6 GW of electricity are renewable self-generation projects. It is estimated that these projects could come online within the next 18 to 36 months.

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Since 2019, significant progress has been made to unlock the regulatory environment and enable self-generation of electricity. The Minerals Council continues to engage constructively with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), NERSA and Eskom on those constraints that delay the execution of self-generation projects.

The Minerals Council has made the following recommendations to the DMRE to streamline the regulatory process to enable additional self-generation:

Establish a “one-stop-shop” mechanism coordinated by the DMRE to accelerate licensing of private sector generation for own use. The process should be streamlined, and all licensing should be approved within 90 days with progress reported to Cabinet.
Increase the cap from 10 MW to 50 MW on Schedule 2 self-generation licences.
Introduce licensing lite to make provision for small self-generation plants which currently undergo the same licensing process as large coal fired power stations.
Take economies of scale into consideration.
Address other potential constraints involving various government authorities that could cause delays.
Address wheeling as reaching agreement often is a long and drawn out process with charges sometimes rendering projects uneconomical.
Develop a flow diagram to outline the full licensing process to enable IPPs to plan accordingly and ensure accountability.
“We welcome the efforts of the DMRE to engage constructively with the industry on ways to streamline the regulatory approval process for self-generation projects. We support the increase in the Schedule 2 licence cap from 10 MW to 50 MW which will allow for more than 5,000 MW of electricity generation to be freed up which will go a long way in easing the electricity supply constraints in South Africa impacting all aspects of the economy,” concluded Mr Baxter.

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