Solar industry urges commitment to renewables amid Eskom’s surging diesel spend

• Published date: 26 April 2024
• Author: Siphelele Dludla siphelele.dludla@inl.co.za
• Publication title: Star, The (Johannesburg, South Africa)

Earlier this week, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa vowed that the government will find a use for excess electricity generated by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) of between 17MW to 60MW from solar and battery plants which Eskom wasn’t allowed to buy due to contract limits

These contracts limits are believed to result in up to 30% of Scatec’s landmark Kenhardt project, comprising of 540MW of solar PV capacity and 225 MW/1.1 GW/h of battery storage to provide 150MW of dispatchable electricity daily, solar generation being lost to the system

Eskom will today provide an indication of the country’s energy and electricity prospects for the upcoming winter season during its State of the System and Winter Outlook briefing.

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (Sapvia) CEO Dr Rethabile Melamu yesterday said this update will be an important indicator of what the industry can expect in terms of energy reliability over the time that generally puts greater pressure on the national grid.

Sapvia represents the interests of almost 700 members across South Africa’s Photovoltaic value chain.

“Considering the extra capacity that has recently become available, we feel a sense of optimism that our risks for load shedding could be reduced. It does not, however, mean that we are out of the woods at all,” Melamu said.

“The focused commitment on the roll-out of renewables must continue, so that we have a balanced mix of energy sources to carry our nation through winter.

“As an industry body, we look forward to working with our various stakeholders and partners this year to make sure that solar PV maintains its rightful place as part of our country’s energy plans for the future.

“Sapvia eagerly awaits the information that will be shared during Friday’s media briefing.”

This also comes as reports have emerged that Eskom has been increasingly reliant on diesel to power its Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) to plug the electricity generation gap.

Eskom has suspended the implementation of rotational load shedding for 30 consecutive days...