Western Cape ramps up its fight against load shedding

The Western Cape has led the charge on a provincial basis to push towards renewables and cut down on the severity and frequency of load shedding.
Speaking at the Western Cape Government’s (WCG) latest Digicon conference on 13 April, the premier of the province, Alan Winde, said that now more than ever, the WCG is considering and employing green energy as a more prominent component of our energy mix.
“Solar, wind and hydro energy are cleaner, and used in conjunction with battery storage will be an effective means of filling the electricity void we are having to endure, especially as the country gradually weens itself from coal-fired power,” Winde said.
Deciding on the right energy mix for the province comes after prolonged trips abroad by the WCG in October last year where the premier met with key players in the European energy market to discuss the best way forward in line with international standards and practices.
Initiatives to mitigate load shedding in the area include, among others:
- Opened up the possibility of 200MW of procured energy from Independent Power Producers (IPPs)
- Allocating R15 million in 2022 to pay for energy generated by small-scale embedded generators through the feed-in-tariff
- Exploring a ‘rewards scheme‘ for citizens and companies that voluntarily shut off their power to help alleviate pressure on the grid.
The premier on Energy for the province, Alwie Lester – a former Eskom executive – said that the concept of load shedding was “pioneered” in the Western Cape as far back as 2006 – due to failings at the infamous Koeberg power station.
“We really had a perfect storm in that Eskom could not transmit energy into the province, and the existing energy in the Western Cape was not available, which got us into load shedding.”
Lester said that this year, South Africa has already reached almost 50% of the load shedding seen in the whole of 2022.
He further warned that South Africans must expect much higher load shedding this year, particularly this coming winter.
On the issue of maintenance, he said a lot of effort would have to be put in by Eskom to get its summer maintenance programme completed because winter maintenance will be at a lower level due to increased energy demand.
Lester’s warnings echo that of Winde, who, in late March, said that delays at the sole nuclear power station Koeberg, is a worrying sign for coming electricity demand increases over winter.
Clyde Mallinson, the director of Virtual Energy and Power, has also warned that South Africa may experience severe power outages during the winter months if Eskom, the power utility company, fails to increase the coal fleet’s capacity factor (CF) to at least 50%.
He further suggested that Eskom must take necessary steps to prevent load shedding at a level beyond stage 6 during peak winter in June.
Rooftop solar push
In line with the recent incentivisation of rooftop solar, the provincial government said that costs should not be a barrier for the often pricey PV panels.
“There are a number of options available for people to access either solar PV or battery storage,” the WCG said.
The government elaborated on solar PV procurement options:
- Balance sheet – The solar PV system is funded by the customer; the cost is high but in return the client gets all of the savings benefit. The client takes ownership of the annual costs of running the solar PV system
- Debt finance – Banks offer loans for solar PV installations for a period of between 5-10 years and monthly payments are a fixed fee. The collateral requirement for the debt funding is often taken against the underlying property or the system (asset).
- Lease agreement/rent to own – The installation, maintenance and management of the solar panel and its components is paid for by the solar PV provider, while the business pays a fixed monthly lease payment for the duration of the lease term. The fixed monthly payment is determined based on the estimated annual production of the solar system and not on the solar energy produced or consumed.
- Power purchase agreement – The solar PV system is installed at no upfront cost. The installation, operation and management of the system are fully covered by the solar services provider. This funding mechanism includes insurance and performance guarantees, with the biggest advantage being reduced electricity costs from day one.
Read: Eskom extends stage 6 load shedding – and warns that things may get worse at short notice