Page 35 - Energize May 2022

VIEWS AND OPINION

How renewable energy helps keep the lights on

BY ASANTE PHIRI, ENEL GREEN POWER SOUTH AFRICA*

hile the debate about South Africa’s power supply rages on, renewable
energy is making strides in providing support to the national grid. According
Wto Eskom Transmission’s load forecast data over the last two years, the
country’s daily peak load sits at around 34 GW. The challenge is on to maintain grid
stability and provide for the country’s energy needs.
As of late January this year, the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer
Programme (REIPPP) had 5901 MW of renewable energy connected to the grid. The
majority of this, approximately 3163 MW is wind power, followed by solar, at 2212 MW
and the remainder is 500 MW of concentrated solar power (CSP). These figures are
expected to rise with upcoming commercial and industrial projects.
These new commercial and industrial projects are partly driven by President
Ramaphosa’s recent announcement that projects under 100 MW do not require a
generation licence. This paves the way for companies to take on projects of this nature
without having to go through the process of applying for a generation licence.

Renewables supporting the national grid Asante Phiri
Providing support to the national grid is not a simple operation. The fundamental
difference between renewable and non-renewable energy is the manner in which
electricity is generated. In a traditional thermal plant, coal is burned to create steam. companies are tackling issues such
Steam drives a turbine, which drives the generator. as climate change. This is where
With renewable energy, another source is used to drive the generator, for example renewable energy fits in, because it
wind. Solar panels work slightly differently, but electricity is still produced, and the allows companies and countries to
electrons flow throughout the grid and become indistinguishable from each other. rise to the challenge of meeting the
Renewable energy does face one challenge that it needs to overcome in providing requirements of the Paris Agreement
power. As there is no control over the sun and the wind, if the sun doesn’t shine and the and the requirements of the investors,
wind doesn’t blow, access to those resources is lost. So, there’s a variability in terms of by allowing them to use clean and
the power supply. sustainable energy.
This makes it challenging for the personnel controlling the national grid, because
they need a certain level of stability to maintain the integrity of the grid. However, if Could South Africa be powered
battery technology is integrated into the system, surplus supply can be stored and used solely by renewables?
when needed, i.e., in times of low wind or solar resource. With advances in technology and the
To control the overall dynamics of the grid, the traditional assets in the system work resources we have in the country, it is
hand in hand with the renewable energy source, so that when the sun is shining and the envisioned that there could be quite
wind is blowing, Eskom can lower the output of their generators to allow the renewable a high contribution from renewable
energy plants to generate, and when the renewable energy production is low, Eskom energy; however, the government’s
generators can fill in the gap. Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) makes
This is a very technical process and is run by highly skilled personnel because Eskom provision for other forms of generation
needs to maintain the integrity of the grid at all times. If imbalances arise in the grid, it technology too.
could cascade to a point where a blackout occurs in a region or even in the country, and If a country has good hydro resources
when this happens, it’s a difficult process to get the grid running again. (for hydroelectric dams), it is easier to
have a fully renewable power system.
Global warming and renewable energy And if there is storage in the system –
Sectors that consume the most energy are generally mining, mineral beneficiation and such as a significant number of batteries
materials manufacturing. Due to global warming, many countries and the companies – then powering the country solely with
within those countries have made commitments to reduce their carbon footprints, renewables is theoretically possible.
and countries have signed the international treaty on climate change, namely the Paris Battery technology is developing at a fast
Agreement. pace, which is exciting; however, South
Many investors these days are also keen to know the environmental and social Africa has a way to go before it can be
governance (ESG) standing of the projects or companies they invest in – how these solely powered by renewable energy.

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