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Johannesburg's City Power is seeking manufacturing and venture capital partners to further develop and pilot a rugged 'energy box' concept in one of the city's 312 informal settlements as a possible greener and safer alternative to the illegal connections that currently predominate.

Chief engineer for renewable energy Paul Vermeulen says the idea is to locate 3 kWh energy storage boxes - linked to lighting, charging and cooking appliances - within individual dwellings and link these to a centralised solar photovoltaic generator securely located on a nearby warehouse or factory rooftop.

He notes that hundreds of secure rooftops capable of hosting 500 kVA-plus solar systems are already connected to the conventional grid in Johannesburg.

The storage systems, which would probably comprise lithium-ion battery technology, would be charged using a constant supply of 130 W of nonlethal direct-current (DC) electricity through a light wiring network, containing low volumes of copper to make it less prone to theft.

This informal grid, which would be relocatable should the area be formalised, would be supplied from conventional alternating-current (AC) grids in adjacent reticulated areas through an AC-to-DC converter and distribution control system that manages the charging of each energy box.

The re-usable nature of the solution would also ensure compliance with the Municipal Finance Management Act, which disallows the city from installing fixed electricity reticulation in "non-permanent" areas.

Lighting and mobile devices would be connected to the energy box using the USB-C standard and each box would be equipped with a single induction-based hotplate for boiling water and cooking. Vermeulen acknowledges that the induction stoves would require cookware containing ferrous materials, but says these are becoming more common and affordable.

The appliance control system will use powerline carrier technology to communicate to the DC distribution and charging control system, drawing power from the conventional AC grid. Communications could also be used for tamper detection and energy balancing, as well as community fire and security alarms.

Vermeulen believes the capital expenditure could be funded through the Integrated National Electrification Programme allocation and registered dwellings would also benefit from the free basic energy allocation, which many eligible households are currently not receiving. Household consumption above that 50-kWh monthly threshold would be charged at a nominal subsidised tariff.

"The system can only dispense a fixed amount of energy to each household daily, thereby avoiding the problem of uncontrolled and excessive nontechnical losses common to conventional AC grid service connections," Vermeulen notes, indicating that up to 72 kWh can easily be lost daily to an illegally bypassed 3 kVA service connection.

In addition, he highlights that the electrocution risks associated with illegal connections are high, with a number of deaths reported every year.

"There is a need for a safe energy solution that can out-compete these illegal operators and, having surveyed residents within these areas, we have found a willingness to pilot the concept both for safety reasons and to reduce reliance on mafia-style illegal connectors."

From a system perspective the constant controlled load would not increase the magnitude of the evening peak, avoiding the problem of uncontrolled electricity theft, while insulating the community from future Eskom price increases.

Vermeulen says the rooftop solar system could be sized to offset the full cost of the energy provided, with the levelised cost of rooftop solar currently estimated at R1.30/kWh against the average cost of Eskom power of R1.75/kWh, which is expected to rise in future.

"Eskom network and demand charges are also like...

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Two solar photovoltaic (PV) projects selected as preferred bids under Bid Window 6 (BW6) of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's (DMRE's) renewable energy procurement programme reached commercial close on April 30.

The projects, which were part of a group of six PV projects to advance to preferred-bidder status for a 1 000 MW allocation in 2022, have a combined capacity of 360 MW and a combined investment value of R4.9-billion.

During BW6 none of the wind projects vying for a 3 200 MW allocation were selected owing to grid-related constraints.

The DMRE said in a statement that the remaining four preferred bidders were finalising preparations for commercial close but were still hampered mostly by grid-access related challenges, as well as interdependencies between projects across bid windows.

"The department and IPP Office are working tirelessly with Eskom to resolve these challenges, to ensure that all projects can reach commercial close and start construction," the DMRE said.

The two projects to have achieved the milestone, meanwhile, are the Virginia Solar Park, located in the Lejweleputswa district of the Free State and representing the province's seventh publicly procured renewables project, and the Doornhoek PV project, which is the North West's sixth public renewables project and located in the Dr Kenneth Kaunda district municipality.

To date, 95 independent power producer (IPP) projects, with a collective capacity of 7 336 MW, have advanced under the bigger programme.

The Virginia Solar Park project is being implemented as a partnership between Red Rocket, Reatile, Jade-Sky Energy and the Red Rocket Opportunity Trust, while the Doornhoek PV project is majority owned by AMEA Power, which has partnered with Ziyanda Energy and black-women-owned Dzimuzwo Consulting. South African entity participation in each project is 49%.

In a statement, Red Rocket said the Virginia Solar Park was located about 140-km north-east of Bloemfontein, and was the biggest solar farm procured under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme, with a contracted capacity of 240 MW and peak capacity of 275 MW.

CEO Matteo Brambilla welcomed the latest milestone by the company, which he said had consistently held its own against large multinationals to become a highly successful IPP in South Africa.

A joint venture between PowerChina and Green Whistle would build the Virginia Solar Park under a turnkey engineering, procurement and construction contract.

Construction on both solar projects is expected to take no more than 24 months with their generation capacity anticipated to come online by May 2026.

"In support of [addressing] the current economic challenges that South Africa is facing, the two projects have committed a total of 2 034 job opportunities (measured in job years)," the DMRE said, adding that R389-million would be spent on skills, supplier, enterprise and socioeconomic development over the 20-year lifetimes of the two plants.

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The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says it is moving closer to turning landfill waste into energy, with two projects that are designed to produce electricity from the combustion of landfill gas moving towards implementation.

Landfill gas, primarily made up of methane, is produced when organic matter, such as food scraps, break down at landfill sites.

To convert this gas into electricity, perforated pipes or 'wells' are dug into a landfill site to channel it as a fuel to produce electricity in specially-designed engines.

CoCT Urban Waste Management MMC Grant Twigg tells Engineering News Online that the Coastal Park landfill site waste-to-energy project is awaiting the installation of a thermal mass-flow meter before the gas engines can be put into operation, while the process to permit the connection of the engines to the electricity grid is ongoing.

Should everything run according to plan, the estimated date for first electricity production is sometime during the second half of this year.

At the Vissershok landfill waste-to-energy project, Twigg says there have been some delays with the appointment of a gas-flare operator owing "to complexities and complications in the procurement process".

This has impacted the timeline for the development of the detailed designs for the waste-to-energy component, "pushing this out significantly."

"The first 2 MW generation infrastructure at Vissershok is scheduled for implementation in 2026/27, increasing thereafter to between 7 MW and 9 MW of generation capacity by 2028/29, depending on gas yields."

Just shy of R79-million has been budgeted for Phase 1 of the Vissershok project, which includes two generator sets, various filters and controls, as well as setup, installation and connections costs.

Further costs will be incurred for Phase 2, says Twigg, but it is too early at this point "to indicate these costs".

He adds that the Vissershok landfill site is an Eskom-supplied site, with initial investigations showing that the local grid may be able to take up to 7 MW of electricity that could be fed into the grid.

This would, however, require confirmation during the design stages of the project.

The expected capital outlay for the Coastal Park energy project is R73.58-million.

Twigg says the electrical generating capacity of this project will be about 2 MW.

Some of this electricity will be used to power the new recycling facility that is under construction at this site.

While the process to put the gas engines into operation is under way at this site, CoCT is using a flaring system at the end point of the well system to destroy landfill gas before it can enter the atmosphere.

Landfull gas has a global warming capacity estimated to be 25 times higher than carbon dioxide.

The flaring and electricity generation system at Coastal Park has been designed in such a manner that it can earn the city carbon credits.

The proceeds from a planned auction of these carbon credits will be ring-fenced to fund projects of the city's Urban Waste Management Directorate aimed at reducing the impact of pollution.

Twigg says it is unlikely that the Coastal Park project will be expanded, given that the site is set to close down "in the next few years".

However, the project will go ahead as landfill gas continues to be generated for 10 to 15 years after the closure of a landfill, albeit at a slightly decreasing yield year-on-year.

"This is evidenced by the fact that the Bellville South landfill, which closed in 2018, is still generating landfill gas eight years after the landfill was closed," says Twigg.

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South Africa's much-delayed draft Gas Master Plan (GMP2024) has been released for public comment by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, amid indications that the gap between demand and supply will grow steeply from 2026 onwards when Sasol ceases to supply Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal industrial customers with gas imported from Mozambique.

The document includes four scenarios, including a base case that shows that gas demand will far exceed supply in the short-term and that the gap, which has been described as an anticipated 'gas cliff', will worsen as demand grows.

It has also been published against the backdrop of an anticipated growth in gas-to-power generation, with a public procurement programme under way and Eskom also pursuing its own large-scale greenfield and diesel-to-gas conversion initiatives.

The draft GMP2024 recommends that South Africa should focus on the importation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) over the short- to medium-term to meet demand and pursue regional supply options to mitigate the supply shortfall anticipated between 2026 and 2030.

"Government-to-government agreements could be relevant instruments to unlock such regional projects," the document states.

However, it also recommends that indigenous natural gas production be pursued to diversify supply in a way the minimises geopolitical risk and improves prospects for competitive prices.

"The country should, thus, strike a balance between domestic/indigenous gas, piped imports and LNG imports to ensure diversification of supply and reduce risks to security of supply," the draft document recommends.

The GMP2024 focuses on reducing the total cost of supply, localisation and supporting energy security, but makes little reference to South Africa's climate commitments, stating only that gas could support a shift away from unabated coal-based electricity production.

In a statement, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy described the draft GMP2024 as a policy instrument that sought to ensure security of gas supply by diversifying supply options from both local and international markets.

"It outlines the role of natural gas in the context of energy mix and provides policy direction to the industry in South Africa," the department stated.

It added that the plan considered the complete gas topology ranging from demand, supply, importation, infrastructure, and distribution networks.

"It recognises the critical role of natural gas in the country's economy, and anticipates the infrastructure required for the delivery of gas at a point of consumption based on a least-cost model."

A deadline of June 15 was set for the submission of written comments

In this essay, Terence Creamer reflects on the factors that have shaped South Africa's real-economy sectors of manufacturing, mining and agriculture over the past 30 years and considers ways to end the economy's persistent underperformance.

In a speech that disrupted the 'Rainbow Nation' narrative, which played an important unifying role at the highly uncertain start of South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy, but which also failed to reflect the realities of entrenched race-based poverty and inequality, then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki defined South Africa as a country of "two nations".

Opening a 1998 Parliamentary debate on 'National Unity and Reconciliation', Mbeki questioned whether South Africa was making progress in achieving the objective of nation building. Mbeki's vision was for a "common nationhood which would result from the abolition of disparities in the quality of life among South Africans based on the racial, gender and geographic inequalities we all inherited from the past".

While acknowledging that the polite and reassuring response would be "yes", Mbeki insisted that the honest, albeit discomfiting, answer was "no", and then unforgettably declared that "South Africa is a country of two nations": one white and relatively prosperous; and a second and larger nation being black and poor, living under conditions of grossly underdeveloped economic, physical, educational, communication and other infrastructure.

The abolition of the apartheid legacy, he concluded, would require sustained effort over a considerable period of time, dismissing as self-serving arguments suggesting that "four or five years are long enough to remove from our national life the inheritance of a country of two nations which is as old as the arrival of European colonists in our country, almost 350 years ago".

Now, 30 years into South Africa's democracy, the socioeconomic realities and disparities sketched by Mbeki sadly largely persist, somewhat masked by the partial yet highly uneven achievements of policies such as affirmative action and black economic empowerment; policies that have not always been fairly applied, leading to deep mistrust and anger in some sectors of society, as well as a flight of skills from certain key institutions.

In the economy overall, a gulf also remains between the formal and informal economies. The former being sophisticated yet too small and concentrated to make a proper dent in South Africa's extreme official unemployment rate of over 32%. It is also subjected to a raft of legislation and regulation that has increased since 1994, some of which has slowed investment and has had a negative impact on growth and development. The informal sector, meanwhile, operates largely outside of these constraints and continues to play an important role in supporting livelihoods. But it is smaller and less vibrant than is the case in several peer countries and is prone to turf wars that, at times, turn violent and xenophobic.

In the formal sector it's also a tale of two realities. The financial and services sectors have grown substantially since 1994, while many sectors in the real economy have been on the decline, especially the manufacturing sector, whose relative contribution to gross domestic product has shrunk massively, from over 20% in the 1990s to about 12% currently. While the construction sector, which plays a key supportive role across a range of productive sectors, has been all but decimated. Only one large integrated construction company, WBHO, is still listed on the JSE, with the others having either exited the general construction market, or having closed or entered business rescue.

Real Economy Pressure

Measuring progress in the real economic sectors through the prism of Mbeki's aspirational vision for a society and economy that reduces disparities reveals serious underperformance over the past three decades. This, despite general societal and policy consensus over the period that their growth a...

Newly appointed Eskom group CEO Dan Marokane has provided assurances that loadshedding during the upcoming winter months will likely be contained at Stage 2, thanks to improvements in generation performance across the coal-fired power station fleet.

As of April 26, Eskom has marked 30 consecutive days without loadshedding, which Marokane said on Friday was a "good moment" to reflect on. He attributed the achievement to the success of the generation recovery plan (GRP) implemented by the State-owned power utility since April 2023.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, Eskom recorded a 9% year-on-year reduction in unplanned losses and a 19% decrease in unit trips.

In addition to the no-loadshedding trend in April, Eskom's diesel spend averages 50% lower compared with the same time last year.

The current load factor of 9% compares with a load factor of 18% in April last year.

Marokane pointed out a considerable shift in the unreliability outlook, with a downward revision of 1 000 MW in the base case scenario.

Eskom targets a further reduction of 1.7 GW in unplanned losses during winter, while intensifying efforts in demand management initiatives.

Reflecting on Eskom's efforts since the previous winter, Marokane said the utility's investment in maintenance and disciplined execution of the GRP had resulted in a gradual reduction in unplanned losses.

However, he said the current unplanned losses of 14.2 GW were still unsustainable. Eskom aims to reduce load losses to below 14 GW to ensure greater stability in power supply.

The City of Cape Town (CoCT) says its total proposed budget for water and sanitation for the upcoming 2024/25 financial year is R18.5-billion.

Of this, R5.3-billion will be spent on capital projects, while R13.2-billion is allocated to operations.

"Residents are assured that these remain key priorities for the city: building a water secure future, delivering clean, reliable drinking water and dignified sanitation services to residents in Cape Town, as well as reducing sewer overflows and improving treating wastewater so that we safeguard our environment and improve inland water quality," says Water and Sanitation MMC Zahid Badroodien.

According to the budget, the city aims to spend R38.25-million on new taps and toilets for informal settlements.

Within the new water programme (NWP), the city notes that surface water currently makes up about 98% of its drinking water.

By 2040, however, the expectation is that groundwater, desalination and water reuse will account for 25% of supply.

This will be in addition to the removal of alien invasive plant species in the city's catchment areas.

"We are bringing online alternative water sources that will serve our growing population," says Badroodien."[We] will work towards implementing new water projects that include desalination, aquifer abstraction and our Faure new water programme."

Badroodien notes that the city will invest R460.16-million this year in major infrastructure projects, the bulk being aquifer projects which form part of the NWP, including the Cape Flats Aquifer Recharge and related projects; the Atlantis Aquifer project, and the Table Mountain Group Aquifer and related projects.

In terms of wastewater treatment works, the city expects to spend R2.58-billion on extensions and upgrades over the next financial year.

This is planned to increase to R2.96-billion in the 2025/26 financial year.

CoCT says the wastewater treatment works programme will expand the capacity of a number of key facilities.

The Potsdam works will upgrade from 47 Ml/d to 100 Ml/d (this is currently in the construction stage).

The Athlone works is in Phase 1 of a refurbishment and treatment process upgrade.

The Bellville works is in the final phase of a refurbishment and treatment process upgrade.

The Macassar works is in the design phase of an upgrade from 34 Ml/d to 80 Ml/d.

Other wastewater works projects include Wesfleur, which is at the tender award stage for an aeration system replacement/refurbishment programme.

At Wildevoëlvlei, the tender is currently being advertised for the refurbishment and upgrade of the mechanical sludge dewatering facility.

Cape Town's 2024/25 water and sanitation budget also allocates R1.07-billion for various projects to prevent sewer overflows.

This includes R154.37-million for the upgrade/refurbishment of sewer pump stations; R315.11-million for the replacement of 100 km of sewer pipes; and R597.51-million to tackle sewer spills by upgrading bulk sewers in Cape Flats, Philippi, Milnerton and Gordons Bay.

The budget also allocates R83.36-million for the replacement of 50 km of water pipes to residential and business properties.

The aim is to also spend R127.7-million on generators and uninterrupted power supply installations for sewer and water pump stations, as well as wastewater treatment plants.

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the work that has started on a market code for a competitive electricity industry in South Africa; what still needs to be done to transition to a multimarket framework; and where South Africa is in its reform journey.

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

In this essay, Terence Creamer reflects on the factors that have shaped South Africa's real-economy sectors of manufacturing, mining and agriculture over the past 30 years and considers ways to end the economy's persistent underperformance.

In a speech that disrupted the 'Rainbow Nation' narrative, which played an important unifying role at the highly uncertain start of South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy, but which also failed to reflect the realities of entrenched race-based poverty and inequality, then Deputy President Thabo Mbeki defined South Africa as a country of "two nations".

Opening a 1998 Parliamentary debate on 'National Unity and Reconciliation', Mbeki questioned whether South Africa was making progress in achieving the objective of nation building. Mbeki's vision was for a "common nationhood which would result from the abolition of disparities in the quality of life among South Africans based on the racial, gender and geographic inequalities we all inherited from the past".

While acknowledging that the polite and reassuring response would be "yes", Mbeki insisted that the honest, albeit discomfiting, answer was "no", and then unforgettably declared that "South Africa is a country of two nations": one white and relatively prosperous; and a second and larger nation being black and poor, living under conditions of grossly underdeveloped economic, physical, educational, communication and other infrastructure.

The abolition of the apartheid legacy, he concluded, would require sustained effort over a considerable period of time, dismissing as self-serving arguments suggesting that "four or five years are long enough to remove from our national life the inheritance of a country of two nations which is as old as the arrival of European colonists in our country, almost 350 years ago".

Now, 30 years into South Africa's democracy, the socioeconomic realities and disparities sketched by Mbeki sadly largely persist, somewhat masked by the partial yet highly uneven achievements of policies such as affirmative action and black economic empowerment; policies that have not always been fairly applied, leading to deep mistrust and anger in some sectors of society, as well as a flight of skills from certain key institutions.

In the economy overall, a gulf also remains between the formal and informal economies. The former being sophisticated yet too small and concentrated to make a proper dent in South Africa's extreme official unemployment rate of over 32%. It is also subjected to a raft of legislation and regulation that has increased since 1994, some of which has slowed investment and has had a negative impact on growth and development. The informal sector, meanwhile, operates largely outside of these constraints and continues to play an important role in supporting livelihoods. But it is smaller and less vibrant than is the case in several peer countries and is prone to turf wars that, at times, turn violent and xenophobic.

In the formal sector it's also a tale of two realities. The financial and services sectors have grown substantially since 1994, while many sectors in the real economy have been on the decline, especially the manufacturing sector, whose relative contribution to gross domestic product has shrunk massively, from over 20% in the 1990s to about 12% currently. While the construction sector, which plays a key supportive role across a range of productive sectors, has been all but decimated. Only one large integrated construction company, WBHO, is still listed on the JSE, with the others having either exited the general construction market, or having closed or entered business rescue.

Real Economy Pressure

Measuring progress in the real economic sectors through the prism of Mbeki's aspirational vision for a society and economy that reduces dis...

This audio is brought to you by Endress and Hauser, a leading supplier of products, solutions and services for industrial process measurement and automation.

Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS) says it will probably make a final decision in the third or fourth quarter of this year on whether it will acquire any Lion's Explorer E electric buses from MAN Truck & Bus South Africa (MAN SA).

MAN SA in September provided GABS with its first Lion's Explorer E electric bus for test purposes.

GABS company engineer Gideon Neethling says the Cape Town-based bus service introduced the Explorer E to its passengers in early February, once it had completed non-passenger testing.

Non-passenger testing included training bus drivers on using the electric bus; checking all the required safety features; determining the range of a single charge; and pinpointing charging rates.

"The energy efficiency is within our expected range of between 0.9 kWh and 1.1 kWh per kilometre," says Neethling.

He adds that both driver and passenger feedback "have been really positive".

He says while the evaluation of the Explorer E "is ongoing", he can confirm that GABS has not experienced any operational issues or major concerns.

MAN SA noted last year that the Explorer E was specifically developed for the African market, following a request by GABS for a MAN electric bus that would suit the South African environment.

GABS is also testing three electric buses from a Chinese manufacturer.

The bus service noted last year that its goal was to acquire more than 60 electric buses a year.

About 31% of GABS' total costs relate to fuel.

The 66-seater Explorer E carries one more passenger than an equivalent diesel-powered Lion's Explorer bus.

MAN SA says the Explorer E's range is 300 km to 350 km, with a battery life up to 14 years, with 70% efficiency remaining at this point.

The local arm of the German bus maker has an assembly plant in Durban, and a bus body plant in Gauteng.