Tag: energy storage

South Africa’s revamped carbon tax policy, coming into effect in 2026, signals a decisive shift in the country’s climate and energy landscape. With stricter emissions thresholds and an expanded scope for carbon offsets, the carbon tax overhaul is set to drive major investment in renewable energy. It will also reshape how businesses source electricity. This policy evolution opens new doors, even though some hurdles remain.

Access to reliable electricity remains a significant challenge across Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly in rural areas. Expanding grid infrastructure is often prohibitively expensive and impractical due to difficult terrain and large distances from urban centres. As a result, millions of people rely on costly and polluting diesel generators or go without electricity altogether. Off-grid solar solutions have emerged as a transformative tool in bridging this energy gap.

During the 1990s and early 2000s, South African mines bought electricity from Eskom at regulated tariffs. These tariffs were globally competitive. Eskom prioritised the mines as their most important customers. Eskom faced few hurdles related to climate change concerns. Buyers had little choice, but the energy was cheap and reliable. There were few viable alternatives.

Africa is making slow, steady progress towards energy security, which will only be enhanced through collaboration. Energy access is undeniably one of the most crucial components of modern day living. Reliable energy supply ensures that economies are growing by supporting critical industries like mining, manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare and education, while improving the lives of billions of people.

The shifting landscape of the energy sector towards sustainability and efficiency will have implications for workforce and skills development, with organisations needing to explore how to navigate this transition effectively. South Africa’s draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) for the energy sector introduces new energy sources such as nuclear, gas and hydrogen into the mix, which calls for proactive measures to be taken to prepare workforces for these incoming technologies.

South Africa is experiencing a monumental uptick in its renewable energy sector, driven by a number of factors including rapid expansion, increased investment, and the rising need for homes and businesses to reduce their reliance on the national power grid. This burgeoning industry, however, faces a formidable challenge: a critical shortage of skilled labour.

Whether you're a tech enthusiast, a curious consumer, or someone keen on the future of energy storage, understanding key concepts relating to lithium-ion batteries is invaluable. I shed more light on common terms associated with these powerful energy sources.

South Africa’s total energy capacity of 54.6 GW (excluding imports) should theoretically be sufficient for energy security and spare generating capacity, but it is not - as evidenced by record-level load shedding in 2022 and 2023. This was highlighted in the recently released Africa Energy Review 2023 report by PwC, which noted that the country is trying to remedy the situation by transitioning away from coal-generated power to renewables and gas – and even (to many experts’ dismay) nuclear.

South Africa has experienced severe load shedding (i.e. controlled/scheduled power cuts), almost daily, since September 2022. This recent spike and high frequency of load shedding can be largely attributed to a significant drop in Energy Availability Factor of the coal fleet that has not been optimally maintained due to several  factors.

In the past few years, we’ve seen the increase of wind and solar power generation as a cost-effective substitute for fossil fuels. Solar power is notorious as a go-to option and the fastest-growing energy source, playing a critical role to achieving a sustainable carbon free future. However, with renewable energy not available twenty-four hours a day, the need for balanced and flexible power generation is becoming rapidly apparent.