E-Newsletter for the Power & Energy Sectors of Southern Africa
Issue 88, June 2015
Do engineers have the key to solve South Africa's energy crisis? by Paul Fitzsimons, GIBB
The power and energy debate in South Africa continues to draw attention from world-wide players and is sparking contest between industries seeking solutions to the dire situation. Paul Fitzsimons, energy expert and General Manager of GIBB Consulting Engineers... (more)
Submission to NERSA opposing Eskom's application for a 25,3% price increase by Chris Yelland, investigative editor, EE Publishers
This submission is in response to Eskom's application on 30 April 2015 to NERSA for a "selective reopener" of NERSA's third multi-year price determination (MYPD 3), for the period 1 April 2015 to 30 March 2018... (more)
Priority actions on climate change and how to balance the trilemma Foreword to the report by Joan MacNaughton, WEC
This 2015 World Energy Trilemma report is a key departure for the World Energy Council's community. In its previous research the Council engaged business leaders, policymakers and investors in analysing what is needed for energy investment to flow in support of... (more)
Renewables and energy efficiency the answer to SA's sustainable energy future
by Arthur Chien, Talesun Energy
The current low business confidence levels experienced in South Africa can be attributed to the challenges that the country faces with electricity supply. This is according to Arthur Chien, the vice-president of Talesun Energy, who says that the answer to a sustainable... (more)
Domestic gas holds potential for Mozambique
by Simon Ashby-Rudd, Standard Bank
Mozambique liquefied natural gas, (LNG) stands to transform the country and entrench it as a leading player in the global LNG industry. Developing these reserves and scaling up the currently planned LNG facility to its... (more)
Huge potential exists for hydropower development in Africa. However, developers face many challenges throughout the lifecycle of a hydropower project. Typically, there is a lack of hydrological, topographical and geological data because it is difficult to... (more)
Standby generators: Diesel fuel management by Mike Rycroft, EE Publishers
Load shedding and rolling blackouts, combined with unplanned network downtimes have resulted in many users opting for onsite standby generators. Although equipped with reliable and well maintained engines and alternators, these units can still fail... (more)
Domestic electricity prices of six metros and Eskom compared by Chris Yelland, investigative editor, EE Publishers
There is significant public misperception and confusion in respect of domestic electricity tariffs in South Africa. In order to clarify the facts, this article compares the domestic electricity prices of Eskom and the six largest metros in the country, namely City Power... (more)
A holistic view on grid integration of renewable energy generation by Riaan Smit, Eskom
This article summarises the introduction of the renewable energy independent power producer (REIPPP) programme in South Africa and the Eskom renewable energy grid integration process. It also addresses the technical evaluations considered by Eskom... (more)
This month, Energize's readers write in response to City Power's load shedding mitigation system, the contract between Kusile and ABB, and NERSA's regulations. The winning letter is on the topic of the cost of new build... (more)
Violent weather and extreme temperatures can occur at any time resulting in the disruption of electrical networks. The financial implications of these disruptions can run into billions of rand. In addition, vendors of medium-voltage overhead distribution... (more)
Inverters are essential components of renewable energy systems, both at utility scale and in smaller systems. Inverter design has advanced from fairly simple units performing basic functions to complex systems capable of handling many operations... (more)
Recent global weather and economical changes have seen a rise in the demand for alternative energy resources, which consequently has lead to the optimisation in the supply of electric power. Producing electricity from the power of the wind is the fastest growing... (more)
Advances in power quality meters
Information from Eaton
Recent advancements in technology have redefined the possibilities for power quality monitoring. Capabilities that formerly required expensive, specialised equipment and consultants can now be packaged into compact, affordable devices which detect fast... (more)
Through continuous and intensive efforts, industrial productivity has already increased to a level where the potential for further improvements is limited, at least for the time being. In contrast, energy efficiency still offers immense potential for... (more)