The latest Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Energy Center’s study published in January 2015 proves that South Africa is gaining ground on renewable energy.
In 2014, green energy allowed to save diesel and coal fuel and avoid « unserved energy » from approximately 1.6 GW of wind and solar power capacity. This remains in an amount of savings of approximately R 5,3 billion while they cost only R4.5 billion in tariffs payments to independent power producers. That means a net benefit of R800 million.
SAVING COST FROM « UNSERVED ENERGY »
The benefits earned were two-fold. The first benefit, derived from diesel and coal fuel cost savings, in pinned at R3.7 billion. The second benefit of R1.6 billion is a saving to the economy derived from almost 120 hours of so-called « unserved energy » that were avoided thanks to the contribution of the wind and solar projects. During these hours, the supply situation was so tight that some customers’ energy supply would have had to be curtailed (« unserved ») if it had not been for the renewables.
Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Programme (REIPPP) have thus offset more than 2 million tonnes of CO2e emissions in 2014. As a follow-up of this programme, South Africa plans to source 10TWh electricity from renewable energy projects based on a wide variety of technologies (concentrated solar thermal, biomass, biogas, small hydro, landfill gas…).
SOLAR GROWTH IN SOUTH AFRICA
In recent months, two major solar plants went live, while the Department of Energy announced the construction of two even larger concentrated solar thermal power (CSP) plants in the Northern Cape. Both of these plants (the Kathu Solar Park and Redstone Solar Thermal Power project), which will have 100MW capacity, are part of the government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
RENEWABLE ENERGY AS A MATTER OF URGENCY
Dr Tobias Bischof-Niemz, chief engineer at the CSIR, said the relevant standards and norms for grid connection of embedded generators as well as metering standards need to be finalised as a matter of urgency.
« The SA power system is still coal-driven (87.4% of net domestic electricity production comes from coal). The contribution of new renewables (wind and solar PV) last year was close to 1%. » he said.
Howerver, South Africa has a high level of renewable energy potential according to the Department of Energy (DOE). It has made a very bold move forward with respect to clean power sources, in terms of the integrated resource plan (IRP) and its implementation in the form of REIPPP.
Thus, as for Bischof-Niemz, small-scale embedded and distributed renewables should now be incentivised. Conventional power stations are centralised and often require electricity to be transmitted over long distances, he explains. By contrast, embedded generator systems are decentralised, modular and more flexible technologies, that are located close to the load they serve.
Useful links :
- CSIR report : http://www.csir.co.za/docs/Financial%20benefits%20of%20Wind%20and%20PV%20in%202014-%20CSIR%20-%2021Jan2014_FINAL.pdf
- South Africa saved R5.3 billion in energy costs : http://allafrica.com/stories/201501211312.html
- Solar growth in SA could be explosive : http://www.htxt.co.za/2014/08/22/solar-growth-in-sa-could-be-explosive/
- South Africa’s solar farms : http://businesstech.co.za/news/general/79740/south-africas-solar-farms/
(Picture: http://pinterest.com/pin/421719952583051293/ )