Molefe winds up the renewables lobby

Last month, Eskom’s chief executive, Brian Molefe, said renewable energy had failed Eskom by not providing additional power when the grid needed it most during peak load-shedding periods in 2015.

But Heather Sonn, the chairperson of the South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea), said that, in the first half of last year, wind and solar energy “avoided entirely, delayed or prevented a higher stage of load-shedding for a full 15 days”.

This is based on the conclusions of an independent report by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, which found that, from January to June 2015, wind energy alone saved Eskom from having to spend R300-million on buying coal and diesel.

The research shows wind speeds are usually highest during the morning and evening, with a reduction around midday — when solar photovoltaic energy is at a peak.

Just days before Molefe made his comments, Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson said in her budget speech that renewables had already made a 16% contribution to the total energy produced during the morning and evening peak times in a 24-hour period.

Sawea said South Africa’s renewable energy independent power producers programme had procured 6 377 megawatts of renewable energy to date, and had been hailed as a global success.

“Wind and solar power already provides much-needed electricity to the country’s grid network and the projects have been constructed on time and on budget,” the association said.

Energy expert Chris Yelland said Eskom’s criticism of the renewables programme was offensive to the renewables industry and sent mixed messages, given that the utility itself was investing in its own renewables projects.

“Renewable energy has been shown to have played a very important role in meeting the energy needs of South Africa while reducing the carbon footprint,” Yelland said. —