Page 31 - Energize November 2022

INTERVIEW

The role of gas in South Africa’s energy transition

ärtsilä released a white paper Click here to read the white paper
recently which looks at the
Wadequacy of South Africa’s proposed Gas discoveries would also make it possible
energy crisis mitigation measures, and the and viable for existing diesel-powered peaking
role that gas could play in in helping us plants to be converted to gas. Wärtsilä’s new
overcome shortage of generation capacity. plants have dual fuel capability. Thus, they
Energize spoke to Håkan Agnevall, the can run on both gas and diesel, in the future
president and CEO of Wärtsilä, about South they will have multi fuel capabilities, they will
Africa’s readiness for gas as a source of also be prepared for the future green fuels like
primary energy for electricity generation. ammonia like hydrogen.
Wärtsilä would love to assist Eskom to
Click here to listen to the podcast convert some of its coal fired power stations
to gas, he added.
Agnevall says that the Department of The company has contributed to other Håkan Agnevall
Mineral Resources and Energy is working utilities in other parts of the world. One
on a gas utilization master plan. It is, he example is Baker Inlet in South Australia, and it will accelerate. Wärtsilä can provide
said, a comprehensive plan which is based which we often use as an example because power solutions that make a significant
on simulations, engineering and facts using the customer has shared the data publicly. contribution to the industry and ultimately to
modeling. The plan is likely to give gas has a Wärtsilä converted gas turbine power into the world.
major place in the country’s electricity future. engine power with a much higher level of Fortunately, the use of green gases is
While renewable energy is the cheapest flexibility to the benefit of the whole grid and not far away. Many Wärtsilä engines can run
source of energy in terms of running costs, the stability of the whole grid. And this is what on blends from 10 to 25% Hydrogen. The
one needs balancing power which today is the firm could achieve in South Africa. company has some pilots running in Portugal
best provided by gas. In the future, battery Since gas is, like coal, a fossil fuel, in the US, so the technology for blending
storage will have a big part to play too. Wärtsilä would not propose to use gas already exists. Naturally, this would be a
Although South Africa is on a path of for baseload, but for balancing power in gradual ramp up – it will not be zero one day
transitioning away from fossil fuels to cleaner combination with other cleaner technologies. and 100% the next – but a trajectory over a
generation technologies, one must bear in The sun doesn’t always shine, and the wind decade. Coal will be with us for a long time
mind that this transition will take decades. It doesn’t always blow, so, one needs balancing yet, but we need to grow renewables and we
is to be a just transition which must consider power. Gas can provide that balancing power need balancing power, because with these
the social dimension of this transition, which now, but over time, green fuels like the technologies we will get more accessible
is very important. hydrogen or ammonia could fuel balancing power, we will get more stable power, and we
Regarding gas supplies, he said that power generation. will get more cheaper power, he concluded.
South Africa has ample gas resources under There will be more developments in
development. This means that long term, energy over the next ten years than the About Wärtsilä Energy
South Africa could have most of its own gas previous 30 or 40 years, and it’s all evolving on Wärtsilä Energy leads the transition towards
for its own power system. Perhaps not for around decarbonisation. It’s not a quick fix. It’s a 100% renewable energy future. We help
base load, but certainly for balancing power. a journey. But it’s a change that is happening, our customers in decarbonisation by
developing market-leading technologies.
These cover future-fuel enabled balancing
power plants, hybrid solutions, energy storage
and optimisation technology, including the
GEMS energy management platform. Wärtsilä
Energy’s lifecycle services are designed to
increase efficiency, promote reliability, and
guarantee operational performance. Our
track record comprises 76 GW of power plant
capacity and 110 energy storage systems
delivered to 180 countries around the world.
https://www.wartsila.com/energy

Contact Wayne Glossop, Wärtsilä,
Phone 021 511-1230,
wayne.glossop@wartsila.com,
www.wartsila.com

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