As Eskom load shedding prevails, some cities are turning to the private sector to solve the crisis, with much interest being shown in renewable energy projects.
Cities including Johannesburg, Cape Town and eThekwini are trying to tackle dire energy shortages while also meeting environmental commitments.

Michael Sun, Johannesburg’s mayoral committee members for the environment and infrastructure services, told the Joburg Energy Indaba that in 2022 load shedding had cost the country between R60-billion and R120-billion.

“Now you can imagine, if we could use that money, that we suffered as a loss, in building our economy, investing in infrastructure,” said Sun.

Here’s what’s happening in three of South Africa’s major cities.

Johannesburg
The City of Joburg held its first Energy Indaba on 23 May, aimed at finding sustainable and affordable solutions to the energy crisis. Mayor Mpho Phalatse said: “We cannot assume any more that our power will be solely generated by Eskom. Instead, more and more alternative energy models have come through and, as the City, we are forced to recognise so-called embedded generation as a serious option.”

The indaba aimed to engage with businesses and the government to find a way to reduce the city’s 90%  energy dependence on Eskom and find a permanent solution to load shedding.

Eskom uses mostly fossil fuels, as does independent Kelvin Power Station, from where the municipality gets the remaining 10% of its power, and the city council is keen on “clean” alternatives.

In the short term it wants a 28% reduction in carbon gas emissions, and has a longer term goal of zero emissions by 2050. Technologies identified include solar, battery storage, waste-to-energy and gas.

“Clean energy provided by independent power producers will not only improve the City’s energy security, but also respond positively to the climate change imperative,” said Phalatse.
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Of the sixteen registered power generation systems, eleven will be generating electricity for their own use, and five generation facilities will be generating for commercial purposes.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) has announced the registration of 16 embedded generation projects with a total power generation capacity of 211 megawatts (MW). The regulator announced the registrations during its executive committee meeting on Monday.

The renewable energy projects will have a cumulative estimated investment value of R3.65-billion (US$234 million). 

According to Regulator Member, Muzi Mkhize, it took an average of 19 days for NERSA to process the applications for each of the 16 projects after registration. Mkhize also mentioned that the 19-day approval process trend was also the same period it took for registration of projects registered in 2020 and 2021.

“All 16 applications were received during April 2022 and processed within 19 working days. Three generation facilities for commercial purposes are above 10MW. Since the increase of the registration threshold from 1MW to 100MW, NERSA has approved 216 registration applications,” NERSA said.

South Africa now allows for setting up of embedded generation systems for up to 100MW without requiring licensing, but the projects still have to be approved by the energy regulator NERSA. South Africa’s renewable energy industry has been calling for an expedited registration process for projects to help the country improve energy supply and reduce blackouts (load-shedding)

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​NERSA revealed that 54 generation facilities with a total capacity of 29.148MW were approved in the first quarter of 2022. The total investment cost is approximately R452 million.

Of the sixteen registered power generation systems, eleven will be generating electricity for their own use, and five generation facilities will be generating for commercial purposes. NERSA says all applicants have connection approvals from licensed distributors. 

“Twelve applicants will be connected to the Eskom network and four to the municipal networks. Fifteen applicants use solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, and one applicant uses wind turbine technology,” NERSA adds.

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South Africa’s plan to procure emergency power to help Eskom stave off load-shedding before the end of 2022 has been utterly derailed.

The energy department on Thursday announced it had signed off on a power purchasing agreement (PPA) with Norwegian company Scatec to provide 150MW of dispatchable renewable generating capacity.

This was part of the Risk Mitigation Programme Independent Power Producers Programme (RMIPPP).

The hybrid installation in the Northern Cape will consist of 540MW of solar PV capacity and 1.1GWh of battery storage, providing the ability to dispatch 150MW to Eskom’s grid at any given time.

The project must now reach financial close within 60 days from the signoff, after which construction will begin. It is expected to start providing power to the national grid by the end of 2023.

These are the first of 11 planned RMIPPP projects progressing to this stage.

Government first announced its plan to procure emergency power in December 2019.

The department officially gazetted the programme on 7 July 2020.

One of its main goals was to address the electricity supply gap that prevented Eskom from performing necessary maintenance on its coal power fleet, forcing it to implement severe load-shedding.

The programme also intended to reduce the power utility’s reliance on expensive diesel-based peaking open cycle gas turbines (OCGTs).

Eskom’s OCGTSs provide extra power during high demand periods when its typical generation is insufficient.

In March 2021, the department announced the eight preferred RMIPPP bidders, with a combined dispatchable capacity of 1,825MW.

The three projects from Scatec were added to the list three months later, meaning the programme would provide 1,975MW capacity once all the projects were built.

However, the approval of power purchasing agreements for the remaining eight projects dragged along at a snail’s pace.

The result is that none of the projects are expected to be completed by the end of the year — which was the deadline government initially set by which bidders had to supply electricity.

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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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There are several pitfalls when using solar power that can result in things going wrong during the insurance claims stage, warns Elite Risk MD Tarina Vlok.

Elite Risk is a specialist high net worth insurer and subsidiary of Old Mutual Insure.

Wealthy South Africans are reducing their reliance on Eskom’s national grid by partially or fully converting their households to solar energy.

Some wish to escape the ever-increasing price hikes, and others want a reliable power supply free from load-shedding interruptions. Many want to do their part for the planet by using cleaner energy.

However, homeowners should ensure their solar installations comply with regulations, so they do not run into issues with their insurer down the line.

“The installation of solar geyser systems differs immensely from that of an electrical system and is subject to strict regulations,” said Vlok.

“We often have to reject claims or are unable to replace geysers because the previous installation did not comply with regulation.”

Full solar energy installations are expensive — ranging from R80,000 for small grid-tied systems to over R500,000 to take a larger house completely off-grid.

“If you are spending this kind of money on a solar system, then it makes sense to work with qualified technicians and installers who know what they are doing,” said Vlok.

“You don’t want any regrets should you need to ever claim from your insurer.”
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Vlok noted that an engineer’s certificate must be issued for all solar geyser installations of 300 litres or more.

She also encouraged clients to ensure that their solar geyser systems are installed by technicians who are well versed with the regulations and supported by the appropriate engineering professionals.

“Policyholders should make sure that their installer demonstrates that they are familiar with the technical regulations relating to solar installations,” said Vlok.

She summarised them as follows:

Installers must ensure that the roof structure can support the solar system. (SANS 10106:2014 5.3.1)
Where it is impossible to comply, a professional engineer or registered technologist must design the installation so that the standard’s safety and performance principles are incorporated. (SANS 10254 2017 4.1.1.2 and SANS 10106 2014 4.1.7)
Water heaters or storage tanks with a capacity of 200 litres or more may not be attached to a wall. (SANS 120252–1 2012 8.4.6.5)
The solar system must be installed so that it does not accelerate the deterioration of the roof. (SANS 10400-L, SANS 10243, and SANS 10252–1)
To avoid catastrophes when it comes to the claims stage, Vlok encouraged policyholders to use their insurer’s network to find accredited technicians and installers who can put the right solutions in place.

“If your electrical geyser bursts and you want to replace it, some specialist insurers will offer you the opportunity to use the claim payment to pay either in part or full for a solar geyser system instead of a new electric geyser,” Vlok said.

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Inseco, which operates the biggest insect protein plant in the southern hemisphere, said it raised $5.3 million (R81.6 million) in South Africa’s biggest ever startup seed funding round.

Futuregrowth Asset Management contributed alongside E4E Africa and Oak Drive Ventures, Inseco said in a statement sent to Bloomberg on Thursday.

Inseco operates a 10,000 square meter (108,000 square foot) plant in Cape Town that converts the larvae, known as maggots, of the black soldier fly into 100 tons of insect oil and meal a month.

Insect products are high in nutrients and, because the process sees the maggots fed with waste, is seen as a climate-friendly way of feeding farmed fish, poultry and pets.

Fly eggs are produced at Inseco’s plant and then transported to where the waste is produced, either as a by-product of a food-manufacturing process or so-called canteen waste, from restaurants.
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While the latter can be used in South Africa, laws in the European Union do not permit its use to create feed for poultry and aquaculture.

Inseco plans to start exports to the EU and the U.S. in the second quarter.

“We are finding a new home for food products that would have been otherwise destined for landfill,” Simon Hazell, Inseco’s chief executive officer, said in an interview.

The meal is used to feed poultry and fish as a supplement to fishmeal, made from small fish netted in the sea, cutting down on its use, Hazell said. The use of insect protein boosts growth and it also has immune system boosting properties, Hazell said.

Futuregrowth, South Africa’s biggest specialist fixed-income investor, has invested in a number of startups including SweepSouth, Africa’s largest online home-services platform.

Inseco competes globally with enterprises such as the Netherlands’ Protix BV, France’s Ynsect SAS and Innova Feed, Canada’s Enterra Feed Corp and U.S. company EnviroFlight LLC.

The company is targeting what it sees as a 500,000 ton market for insect protein by 2030 and a global pet food market worth $38 billion.

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THE South African Breweries (SAB) has signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a black-woman owned industrial scale biogas waste-to-energy company, Bio2Watt. The renewable energy will be supplied from the Cape Dairy Biogas Plant once it reaches commercial operation.

Construction of Cape Dairy plant, located in Malmesbury is expected to commence in July/August this year and will start feeding approximately 4,8MW into the national grid by second half of 2023, all of which will be taken up by SAB at its various breweries around the country.

Founder and managing director of Bio2Watt, Sean Thomas explained that the PPA with SAB is similar to the successful PPA the company has with BMW South Africa, who have been off taking approximately 3MW of power for its vehicle building operation at Rosslyn in Pretoria for the past seven years.

In the wake of its success with the first South African biogas project in Bronkhorstspruit, Bio2Watt will build, own and operate its second commercial biogas project in the country. The project is housed in a special purpose vehicle – The Cape Dairy Project (Pty) Ltd.
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​The Cape Dairy Biogas Project is located on one of SA’s biggest dairy farms, Vyvlei Dairy farm owned by Morester, with its principal business being the supply of milk to the dairy industry from an estimated 7 000 dairy cows permanently residing on the farm. The project makes use of considerable quantities of slurry manure with a mix of other waste streams available within the surrounding region. The location provides the plant with proximity to key fuel supplies, grid access and sufficient grey water from water collection dams.

SAB’s holding company Anheuser-Busch InBev’s global 2025 sustainability targets for climate action are that 100% of its purchased electricity will come from renewable sources and carbon emissions will be reduced by 25% across its value chain.

“Under this Power Purchase Agreement and installed renewable electricity, SAB will achieve 23% contracted renewable electricity” says VP of Procurement and Sustainability in Africa, Conor Ruff.

All of SAB’s Breweries in South Africa already use solar power, which we are currently expanding and the Alrode brewery in Johannesburg is also making use of a biogas facility.

Pioneers in the alternative energy field, Bio2Watt have successfully secured a number of firsts for South Africa, including the ground breaking Bronkhorstspruit Biogas Plant which began supplying power in 2015.

A range of other inventive biogas projects are currently in development. These independent commercial enterprises will contribute to diversifying the South African energy mix away from coal, which today still forms over 90% of South Africa’s total electricity generation capacity.

Thomas explained that Bio2Watt’s ‘purely green energy’ approach is two-fold: the production of clean energy from a variety of natural sources and the utilisation of what typically goes into landfills in the energy generation processes, thereby assisting in the decrease of water and air pollution.

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​Healthy batteries should main­tain a capacity above 9% of the manufacturer’s rating; most manufacturers recommend replacing the battery if it falls below 80%. A series of regular tests are recommended for ensuring that batteries are maintaining capacity. When conduct­ing battery tests, look for these indicators of failure:

Drop incapacity of more than 10% compared to the baseline or previous measurement
20% or more increase in resistance compared to baseline or previous
Sustained high temperatures, compared to baseline and manufacturer’s specs
Degradation in plate condition
The Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) is the primary source of standard practices for battery maintenance. Over the life of the battery, The IEEE recommends performing a combination of tests periodically as seen in the chart below.
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Inspections recommended by IEEE 1188 standard “Recommended Practice for Maintenance, Testing and Replacement of Valve-Regulated Lead-Acid (VRLA) Batteries for Stationary Applications”

The IEEE also recommends the following schedule for discharge testing:

An acceptance test made at the manufacturer’s factory or upon initial installation
Periodic discharge testing—at an interval not greater than 25% of the expected service life, or two years, whichever is less
Annual discharge testing—when any battery has reached 85% of the expected service life or dropped >10% from capacity
Since scheduling full-scale discharge testing can be difficult, good regular maintenance is extremely important. By operating the battery according to manufacturer charging requirements and following the IEEE recommendations for battery testing, it should be possible to maximize the life of the battery system.

Contact COMTEST on + 010 595 1821, sales@comtest.co.za or www.comtest.co.za for more information on Fluke battery testing systems, technical or seminar information, demonstrations or to locate your nearest Authorised Comtest Channel Partner.
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​South African-based energy company Sakhumnotho Power and energy development company Keren Energy Investment have partnered for a proof of concept (POC) for green hydrogen production in South Africa. The partnership will assess the viability to produce green hydrogen at a site in Vredendal, Western Cape.

Representing the first POC undertaken in the country to assess the feasibility of green hydrogen production using solar, the POC site location already has a 100-kW photovoltaic solar system installed. If successful, the project will enable the generation of clean power, thereby reducing South Africa’s reliance on fossil fuels and enhancing domestic installed capacity.

Chairman of Sakhumnotho Group Holdings, Professor Sipho Mseleku, noted that, “We are cognisant that oil and gas are not going to be the only fuel sources in the future. We understand that we have to invest in a portfolio of power sources which will include oil and gas, renewable energy, as well as hydrogen in order to innovate and grow our investment portfolio into the future.”

Coal is currently the predominant energy source in South Africa. Now, with the POC undertaken, green hydrogen could emerge as both a competitive and increasingly important energy source in the southern African country.
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