In response to Adil Nchabeleng’s ‘Optimism on renewable energy here to stay’, published in Business Report on Wednesday, June 21.
South Africa’s number one on having an unequal society and the highest unemployment rate in the world, owing it to legacy of colonization, Apartheid and the current mismanagement of the ANC and opposition parties in the country.
Thus, any idea to solve South African’s energy problem ought to take into account the demographic and its populace.
The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP19), which sees renewable energy as a permanent solution, is problematic.
The residential sector in South Africa was comprised of approximately 16.9 million households in 2016, of which about 86% were electrified (Stats SA 2016: 96; DOE 2018: 24). Electrified households consume roughly 17% of the country’s total grid electrical energy to provide energy services (DOE 2018: 47), the most significant of which is resistive water heating.
During peak periods, the residential sector can account for up to 35% of national electricity demand and energy efficiency in the residential sector can therefore contribute to reducing peak demand (McNeil, Covary & Vermeulen, 2015: 2).
Renewable energy capacity factor is approximately 6GW (Gigawatt), which is approximately 7% of the countries energy mix, but costs the state coffers more than 50% of its energy budget. This as almost 80% (of the country’s energy mix) comes from coal, while 4% comes from nuclear energy (one nuclear plant).
However, renewables are a temporary solution due to a limited life span. In many cases, solar units become relatively uneconomical before they reach the end of their expected lifespan. If current growth trends are sustained, the volume of scrap solar panels could be huge.
”By 2030, we think we're going to have four million tons of scrap - which is still manageable - but by 2050, we could end up with more than 200 million tones globally”, warns energy expert, Ute Collier, the deputy director of the International Renewable Energy Agency.
It will be unwise for the nation to look at renewable energy as a permanent solution due to the capacity factor. Why would IRP19 allocate more for an expensive, short span energy then fuels energy?
We have an abundance of coal. We can also push for a higher nuclear energy input in the country’s energy plan to ensure that South Africa will have a secure, high energy availability, than what we are currently advocating.
For example, the Koeberg nuclear Power has 40 years of life span until 2024, however, Eskom plans to extend Koeberg power plant's lifespan by 20 years. If we can have at least four nuclear plants by 2050, as well as coal plants to produce base load power, South Africa will never have to hear of loadshedding as part of our daily lives.
Currently the IRP19 strategy plan will never solve the problem of South Africa, if we do not follow data, but emotions.
We need a more pragmatic plan for a better, safe South Africa.
Simanga Mchunu is an Applied Mathematics and Computer Science student
BUSINESS REPORT