Civil Engineering August 2022 | Vol 30 No 7

Renewable Energy S peaking at the Enlit Africa conference, which took place from 7 to 9 June in Cape Town, Jacob Mbele, Director General at the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), noted that the department is forging ahead with the implementation of the current Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) and that a decision has been made to revise the IRP with the aim of expanding the plan beyond 2030. In line with this, the department has a current procurement pipeline totalling over 13 000 MW of new generation capacity by 2027. In addition, the DMRE recently signed agreements for three projects totalling 150 MW under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). Launched in August 2020, the RMIPPPP aims to fill the current short-term supply gap, alleviate the current electricity supply constraints and reduce the extensive utilisation of diesel-based peaking electrical generators. According to Mbele, these three projects, consisting of a combination of renewable energy and battery storage, will be the first of their kind in South Africa and, combined, are said to be the largest renewable and battery projects in the world. He added that the DMRE is working to finalise renewable energy under Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme, with the signing of agreements scheduled for July and September 2022. The department is also working on finalising Bid Window 6, with requests for proposals due in August, while Bid Window 7 will be launched later in the year. The DMRE also intends to issue a section 34 determination during this financial year for the remainder of the capacity alloca- tions in the IRP, which consists mostly of renewable energy, for implementation as soon as practically possible. “It is crucial for us as the government to create a conducive en- vironment for investment in clean energy technologies. It is equally crucial for the private sector and investors to follow through with their promise and commitments to create local opportunities. It is therefore time we see movement in the establishment of a solid and sustainable local manufacturing value chain,” Mbele stressed. GRID ACCESS Also speaking at Enlit Africa, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter noted that South Africa requires investment in substantial additional generation infrastructure. But achieving this requires signifi- cantly expanding the country’s electricity grid. “Grid access is the single biggest constraint that we face in rapidly connecting new sources of generation to the grid in order to meet the shortfall in generation capacity that we face today,” said De Ruyter. At the COP26 climate talks, several countries pledged to provide $8.5 billion to help South Africa transition away from coal. According to de Ruyter, part of this money is intended to support the rollout of the grid to connect the best renewable en- ergy acreage in the country to the market. This requires building between 8 000 km and 10 000 km of new transmission lines and 101 major new substations, which will take approximately 10 years and cost about R131 billion. While achieving this goal will require a concerted effort and substantial investment, De Ruyter argued that it is an entirely doable project. They key challenge is to make the energy transition a just one. A JUST TRANSITION De Ruyter stressed that South Africa cannot ignore the investments made in the coal value chain and the companies who have invested significantly in the economy by ensuring continued coal-powered generation over Eskom’s 99 years of existence. “We’ve got a moral and social obligation and we clearly intend to live up to that,” he said. The existing grid is largely concentrated in Mpumalanga, where Eskom’s current coal fire power stations are predominantly located. This presents an elegant solution to ensuring a just energy transition: making grid access available where the grid currently is and creating new employment opportunities and economic development in the coal belt where the need is the greatest. “This is a daunting challenge, but it is an exciting challenge and with the support not only of business, labour and govern- ment, but also our international partners and in particular our SA’s plans for a sustainable energy future South Africa is placing an increased emphasis on new renewable energy projects to meet its shortfall in power generation, but the rollout of transmission lines, the unbundling of Eskom, and ensuring a just energy transmission are all key challenges involved in making this a reality. 38 August 2022  Civil Engineering