SA’s renewable energy future: not what you imagined
This article has been supplied.
The biggest news for South Africa to emerge from the recently concluded COP 26 UN Climate Change Conference, was the $8.5 billion finance package intended to curtail the country’s reliance on coal and upgrade its transmission infrastructure. While this cash injection could put a stop to loadshedding and help South Africa retire some of its coal-fired stations, it is important to understand all that an energy transition like this entails.
Tygue Theron, Head of Business Development at Energy Partners Intelligence – a division of Energy Partners and part of the PSG group of companies – says that a move towards renewable energy is just what the country needs, but South Africans should also understand what this scenario is likely to entail. “Firstly, I don’t believe that coal power will ever be completely removed from South Africa’s energy mix. Wind and solar power will likely become much larger contributors to our national grid, but there will always be a need for a form of energy generation that can reliably be brought online the moment it is needed. Since both of these renewable energy sources reach their peak production during different times of the day or year, there will always be a need for more consistent baseload energy sources like coal to fill the gaps in renewable energy production.”
In addition to this, Theron also notes that consumers and businesses should expect to pay more for their electricity once the national grid has been upgraded. “The most important objective for improving the national power grid, is arguably to eliminate loadshedding (which has already reduced the country’s GDP by as much as R450 billion). However, a higher quality of service will also come at a higher cost. This means that there will still be scope for businesses to offset their energy costs through private embedded generation.”
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Established in 1983, the ASTPM is an industry association and representative body of the welded carbon steel tube and pipe manufacturers of South...
VISIT SHOWROOM
ATI systems comprises five divisions: electrical assemblies, drives and controls, feedback sensors, enclosures, and strip guiding.
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
