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29 September 2022 | Story Nitha Ramnath and André Damons | Photo iStock
Energy efficiency and renewable energy is the game for South Africa to transition to a carbon-friendly economy by 2050.
Energy efficiency and renewable energy is the game for South Africa to transition to a carbon-friendly economy by 2050.

Energy efficiency and renewable energy is the game for South Africa to transition to a carbon-friendly economy by 2050. The energy mix by 2050 is focused on renewables and the long-term journey is very clear: we have to be renewable driven.

This is according to panellists speaking at the University of the Free State’s (UFS) third webinar in the 2022 Thought-Leader webinar series. The webinar titled, What needs to be done to POWER up South Africa? comprised panellists Matthew Mflathelwa, General Manager: Strategy and Planning at Eskom; Steve Nicholls, Head of Mitigation at South Africa’s Presidential Climate Commission (PCC); Happy Khambule, Environment and Energy Manager at Business Unity South Africa (BUSA); and Louis Lagrange, Head: Department of Engineering Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, UFS. 

We need to invest in new infrastructure

In his presentation, Mflathelwa talked about how Eskom can unlock additional grid capacity and how to start rolling out business models to enable this transition. 

“On the demand side, we are looking at some exciting and interesting initiatives. We are looking at how we can start to aggregate or leverage the idea of consumers becoming prosumers, and leverage technology to aggregate the potential supply and management demand from that perspective.” 

“The question is also how to do this sustainably in the long term. We need to invest a considerable amount of new infrastructure,” said Mflathelwa. 

According to him, it is not a secret that most of Eskom’s generating assets are approaching the end of life. The question now is how to proactively plan for this to ensure that we address the problem of load shedding sustainably. “The big takeaway is that there is a significant amount of new capacity that needs to be built and this is predominantly going to be renewables, but it is not the only additional infrastructure that is required. We need an energy mix that can respond and achieve adequacy for the future requirements.”  

Another important element that is often neglected is the transmission of grid infrastructure, given the penetration or entry of new players with greater penetration of renewable energy and the advantages that come with distributing these energy sources across the country. There is a lot of transmission and distribution infrastructure needed to enable this future capacity.

Some of the things also being discussed, said Mflathelwa, are how to enable greater and faster penetration of new capacity – specifically renewables to aid in the reduction of environmental challenges. 

LISTEN: 2022 UFS Thought-Leader Webinar:
What needs to be done to POWER up South Africa 
(Recorded on 27 September 2022)

 

The next decade is critical 

Nicholls gave a climate-friendly perspective on the work that Eskom is doing, saying energy transition in SA is core to the overall economy transition and getting a zero-carbon, least-cost energy system is fundamental to the strategy of the country. 

“We need to move from carbon emissions of around 480 megatons per annum today to somewhere between 350 and 420 by 2030, and then onto zero carbon emissions by 2050. If South Africa is to reach net-zero by 2050, we need targeted investment between now and 2030, setting the stage for accelerated investment in decarbonisation post 2030. The next decade is critical. Given the state of South Africa’s balance sheets, international support and foreign direct investment are critical.”

Nicholls said the energy mix by 2050 is really focused on renewables, and the long-term journey is very clear: we have to be renewable driven. The short- and long-term solutions are alike; renewables are cheaper, quicker to get onto the grid, pending some investment in the grid.   

“In the long term, we need big investments in renewables – about 6 GW a year between now and mid-2050. We need a big investment in the transmission grid. Hydrogen plays a critical role in decarbonisation of power and industry. Energy efficiency is key. It’s really the unsung hero in this conversation. If we can be energy efficient, we can take two power stations off the grid and that makes a big difference in terms of affordability.” 

“Transport is also important; if we are going to be a net-zero economy, we have to fully electrify the transport fleet, which puts an extra load on what Eskom needs to achieve,” Nicholls said. 

Energy efficiency is most critical

Khambule emphasized that the country needs to focus on using energy in an efficient manner in the commercial and household sectors, as energy efficiency is critical to the country’s power supply issues in the short term. According to Khambule, the country is not using energy in an efficient manner.

"If we are able to use power the minute it is necessary and become more efficient with it, we can get more value out of that power," said Khambule.

Lagrange concurred with Khambule on the importance of energy efficiency, referring to it as ‘the unsung hero’. “Energy efficiency is the biggest solution that we can have, and people need to be trained on how to use energy efficiently,” said Lagrange.

Khambule also addressed the issue of power cuts, saying the unpredictability thereof, even in the short-term, further exacerbated the situation.

"The unpredictability of load shedding has become much more of a driver for uncertainty, which leads to a lack of business confidence, and secondly leads to losses in production;  a key notion is that if we have predictability of load shedding, planning can be undertaken, and if planning is undertaken in a more judicious manner, then we are at least able to keep the losses at a minimum and see how we can weather the storm until a sustainable supply can be implemented."

Khambule also added that in the short and mid-term, solutions must consider protecting or mitigating options for vulnerable sectors. “In some industries – such as health care, power is essential and there is a need for predictable supply. Therefore, some sectors will require mitigating solutions to protect some essential sectors,” said Khambule.
According to Lagrange, no amazing technology for the generation and distribution of energy has been developed over the past decade. “We need to reimagine the entire current regulatory systems business model, because it is caught up in an energy stagnation, which is frighteningly fragile from a physical and cyber-security point of view,” added Lagrange.

News Archive

UFS and Mexico forge links
2006-03-30

Some of the guests attending the signing of the memorandum of agreement were in front from the left Prof Wijnand Swart (Chairperson: Centre for Plant Health Management at the UFS), His Excellency Mauricio de Maria y Campos (Ambassador of Mexico in Southern Africa), Prof Magda Fourie (Vice-Rector: Academic Planning at the UFS) and Dr José Sergio Barrales Domínguez (Rector of the University of Chapingo in Mexico).
Photo: Stephen Collett

UFS and Mexico forge links
The Centre for Plant Health Management (CePHMa) in the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) is presenting its first international conference.  The conference started yesterday and will run until tomorrow (Friday 31 March 2006) on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein. 

The conference is the first on cactus pear (or prickly pear) in South Africa since 1995.  It coincides with 2006 being declared as International Year of Deserts and Desertification by the United Nations General Assembly. 

During the opening session of the conference yesterday a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between CePHMa and the University of Chapingo (Universidad Autonoma Chapingo) in Mexico.  The signing ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of Mexico in Southern Africa, His Excellency Mauricio de Maria y Campos, the Rector of the University of Chapingo, Dr José Sergio Barrales Domínguez, and the Vice-Rector: Academic Planning of the UFS, Prof Magda Fourie, amongst other important dignitaries. 

“South Africa and Mexico have a lot in common where agricultural practices in semi-arid areas and the role of the cactus pear are concerned,” said Prof Wijnand Swart, Chairperson of CePHMa at the opening of the conference.

He said that the MOU is the result of negotiations between CePHMa and the Ambassador of Mexico in Southern Africa over the past 12 months.

“The MOU facilitates the negotiation of international cooperative academic initiatives between the two institutions.  This entails the exchange of students and staff members of the UFS, curriculum development, research and community service,” said Prof Swart.

“During the next two days, various areas of interest will be discussed.  This includes perspectives from commercial cactus pear farmers in South Africa, the health management of cactus pear orchards, selection of new cultivars of cactus pear, and the nutritional and medicinal value of the crop,” said Prof Swart.

In his welcoming message Prof Swart explained that in recent years there has been increased interest in the cactus pear for the important role it can play in sustainable agricultural systems in marginal areas of the world.  These plants have developed phenological and physiological adaptations to sustain their development in adverse environments. 

“The cactus pear can serve as a life saving crop to both humans and animals living in marginal regions by providing a highly digestible source of energy, water, minerals and protein,” said Prof Swart. 

“In an age when global warming and its negative impact on earth’s climate has become an everyday subject of discussion, the exploitation of salt and drought tolerant crops will undoubtedly have many socio-economic benefits to communities inhabiting semi-arid regions,” said Prof Swart.

“Plantations of cactus pear grown for fruit, forage and vegetable production, as well as for natural red dye produced from the cactus scale insect known as cochineal have, over the last two decades, been established in many countries in South America, Europe, Asia and Africa.  The crop and its products have not only become important in international markets, but also in local markets across the globe,” said Prof Swart. 

Detailed discussions on the implementation of the MOU will take place between CePHMa and the University of Chapingo after the conference. 

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel:   (051) 401-2584
Cell:  083 645 2454
E-mail:  loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
30 March 2006

 

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