Page 24 - Energize Issue 1 2023

VIEWS AND OPINION

Recently, Gauteng experienced a publication compared the performance marine propulsion for decades.
period of consecutive days of overcast of two old local power stations to Late 2022 saw two important events
weather which affected rooftop solar similarly aged plant in the US and found in the nuclear field. Firstly, the world’s
projects in urban areas. a significant difference in performance first pebble bed modular reactor (400
The same situation arose in America and reliability. One can think back to MW) reached full operational status
where a fossil fuel phase-out approach the days when Eskom made a profit and is now in service in China. In this
led to restrictions on new gas source and paid billions in dividends to the respect South Africans may rue the
exploitation after a fracking boom. Government and wonder why that day that development of the PBMR
America also suffered from power money was not spent on upgrades to was terminated. Apparently, R&D did
supply problems with the output of some of the older power stations. continue privately and a local company
many wind farms falling well below Load shedding motivated many claims to have the ability to produce
capacity in freezing weather. Luckily, the consumers to install solar PV and hybrid working PBMRs.
utilities were allowed to increase gas systems at their premises. Long periods The second was an important
generation, and were given permission of continuous overcast weather negate announcement that researchers had
to exceed emission limits, to meet the any gain from these systems and place achieved a self-sustaining fusion reactor
demand. the load back onto the grid, although which generated more energy than what
At home, 2022 also saw the batteries can still be charged from the was supplied to it. Although seen as a
relaxation of limits on private generation grid when power is available, but this breakthrough, there is very little chance
to 100 MW, which led to the available does not reduce the load on the grid in of this developing into anything useful
spare transmission capacity being any significant way. Load shedding also in the near future, judging by reaction to
snatched up by private generators, drove many people to install battery- the announcement.
to the annoyance of potential wind based emergency UPS systems. Recent Locally, there is an increasing
farm developers. The year also saw reports of battery failure after only two discontent among African nations
the decommissioning of the Komati years might prompt a re-evaluation of that they are being discouraged and
coal fired power station, the first in a the efficacy of such systems. effectively prevented from using coal
string of planned shutdowns on the The year may be remembered and other fossil fuels, especially gas, as a
path to phase out coal power. There are as a year of renaissance for nuclear, cheap energy source, while financial aid
plans to repurpose the site, involving with many countries re-evaluating the promised to enable the establishment
agrivoltaics, PV arrays, wind power function and importance of nuclear of clean and cheap energy sources has
and storage, as well as a microgrid, power generation. With the emergent not been forthcoming. This has led to
manufacturing facility and possible focus on clean energy, meaning mean accusations of energy colonialism, and
training facilities. carbon- or fossil-fuel-free generation, the claim that northern countries are
Although Komati has the advantages as a desirable goal, came the realisation actively preventing the development
of an existing grid connection, the that nuclear power is virtually carbon- of gas and other fossil fuel resources
wisdom of using solar must be free and can provide a very stable supply in Africa and trying to force African
questioned, as the station is located in of clean energy at a reasonable cost. countries to use expensive and
a summer rainfall area, and the recent Realism prevailed over fundamental unreliable renewable energy instead,
lengthy bouts of overcast weather in opposition to nuclear, although there effectively ensuring poverty in Africa.
Gauteng and Mpumalanga do not bode are still those who seek the closing of The year closed with a number of
well for solar PV power production. One Koeberg. Many countries announced interesting announcements: Rumour has
can only assume that Komati is being nuclear new-build plans, the leader it that Switzerland is to ban the use of
used as a pilot for the repurposing of being China which has long term plans electric vehicles in an attempt to save
coal fired stations, and if this is the case, for 140 new nuclear reactors, and even electricity. Polish citizens are reported
then Eskom could consider pilot SMRs the Netherlands has plans to build new to be mining coal in their back yards, as
or PBMRs as well, seeing as the site also nuclear power plant. The emergence the coal seam is only metres under the
has a supply of cooling water. of small modular reactors (SMR) fits in surface; and Britain has a plan to reduce
The year holds the record for load very nicely with the growing concept of network voltages to reduce power
shedding frequency and depth as the distributed generation, with the year consumption.
performance of the remaining coal fired seeing many SMR development and
stations plummeted to new low levels. deployment projects emerging. SMRs Send your comments to
Age is not the only cause, as a local are nothing new and have been used in rogerl@nowmedia.co.za

energize | Issue 1 2023 | 24