The renewable energy industry is asking the South African government to provide a concrete plan and clear timelines for how the country will resolve the ongoing energy crisis.
Amid the crippling power outages, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is calling on government to lead the development of a comprehensive strategic plan to resolve the energy crisis and prioritise it with the same gravitas and urgency it tackled the COVID-19 pandemic.
SAWEA believes that together, all stakeholders have the expertise to devise a co-ordinated response that will deliver a workable solution to mitigate this crisis that is a precondition to addressing economic recovery.
The call from SAWEA comes as Eskom, which supplies the majority of the country’s electricity, has struggled to keep the lights on, plunging the country into darkness with relentless bouts of load-shedding.
This week, the embattled power utility announced stage six load-shedding will be put in place, with various stages of outages being implemented as the week progresses.
Let’s get to work
As the generation capacity shortages persist, Eskom said it will still take some weeks for the generation capacity to improve.
“This is not a political agenda; our country is in crisis and it is time for our leaders to call on the real energy experts to devise strategic solutions to fix this ongoing problem,” says Niveshen Govender, CEO of SAWEA.
“Let’s get the key stakeholders and experts to formulate the plan in consultation with government, so that power producers can deliver what the country needs.”
Furthermore, the association is advocating for an accelerated uptake in new power generation, pushing for trusted technology. It emphasises that increased power generation from wind and solar PV are proven generational technologies that can be deployed fast and cost-effectively.
“The reasons for the crisis are in fact broadly known and understood, so it’s time to put a plan in place. Simply put, the country has an energy shortfall of over 4 000MW, according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
“On the positive side, as South Africans, we are resourceful, as is our industry, so let’s outline the plan so that we can find the best solutions for building and delivering the desperately needed new power generation.
“The wind sector stands ready to support the country by bringing on new generation capacity as quickly as possible – but the red tape must be managed or even removed for the purpose of addressing the energy crisis,” adds Govender.
SAWEA points out that despite president Cyril Ramaphosa addressing the issue in his 2022 State of the Nation Address (SONA), the country is yet to see any indication of actual strategic plans or timelines.
Hence, it notes, the country continues to be kept in the dark as to when and how the solutions are to come.
During the SONA, Ramaphosa acknowledged the electricity crisis is one of the greatest threats to economic and social progress in SA.
The president indicated renewables had the ability to plug SA’s energy shortfall. He also revealed that due to the country’s aging power stations, poor maintenance, policy missteps and the ruinous effects of state capture, the country has a shortfall of around 4 000MW of electricity.
“Increasing the energy availability factor is in essence how the crisis can be addressed, which is why the country needs to look to government to get the experts around the table in the same way that COVID-19 was tackled,” says Govender.
“Without our leaders, we can’t fix this problem. This is an emergency that is not only frustrating the public, crippling businesses and exacerbating job losses, but deepening our economic crisis on a macro level.”
SAWEA is not alone in calling on government to adopt renewable energy to solve the ongoing energy crisis.
Yesterday, Busi Mavuso, Business Leadership SA CEO, in her weekly newsletter said South Africa must diversify sources of electricity to include an increased uptake of renewable energy in dealing with the power crisis.
In a recent interview with ITWeb, Maloba Tshehla, spokesperson for another renewable energy industry body, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association, said solar energy can come in handy to reduce the impact of load-shedding.
“Solar allows households as well as businesses to have their own energy security, as they will be able to generate their own power.”
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