Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Eskom’s focus on future scientists
THIS year is destined to be a watershed year that will determine the future shape of the South African energy sector, in turn having an enduring impact on the lives of all in the country.
This is the first year of the last decade for the implementation of the National Development Plan 2030, a sweeping vision of how the country can achieve ambitious developmental goals by unleashing the energy of citizens, developing the capabilities of people, and creating opportunities that will transform society.
Eskom, as South Africa’s premier electricity provider, shares the values expressed in the NDP2030 and is committed to providing sustainable solutions which will grow the economy and improve the quality of life for all.
The NDP is an exceptional roadmap that highlights the complexity of the challenges we are facing and how they can be overcome.
The coming 12 months will equally be of great significance to Eskom as the company takes inexorable steps to transform the energy landscape and usher in a just transition to an equitable, sustainable and greener energy sector. This will be a critical year for Eskom as we accelerate the processes that will lead to the restructuring of the organisation and the creation of a more streamlined and responsive energy landscape.
By 2030, Eskom would have closed down about a quarter of our ageing fleet of coal power stations. This will bring enormous environmental benefits as this generating capacity is replaced with renewable and more environmentally friendly power plants.
These fundamental shifts provide the framework for Eskom’s support for the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists, funded by the Eskom Development Foundation. Since its inception in 1980, this national initiative has grown into the largest and most prestigious platform to showcase the talent and abilities of young scientists who are interested in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and innovation – STEMI.
It is quite clear that none of the objectives for this decade regarding the implementation of the National Development Plan or the transformation of Eskom can be achieved without the ingenuity, innovative thinking and the energy generated by the youth.
This is clearly recognised in the NDP2030, which committed itself to look at South Africa’s developmental challenges through “a youth lens” and then to use this same approach in the identification of solutions that will contribute to a more sustainable future.
At Eskom, we are investing in the next generation of scientists and engineers through STEMI initiatives such as the Expo which underlines the value of mobilising the youth itself to become involved in devising solutions for our future. There is no shortage of interest in STEMI nor lack of innovative thinking among the youth. It only requires opportunities to harness this ingenuity and reveal it to a wider audience.
Over the years, the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists has managed to involve more than 2 000 schools in all nine provinces and reached about 100000 learners.
In recent years, high school learners from the rest of the continent participated, confirming the truth that the technological and scientific future of our country is inextricably linked with the rest of Africa.
A distinguishing feature of the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists through the years has been its ability to stimulate interest in a broad range of STEMI-related issues. The 2020 entrants again reflected this, and submissions touched on issues as diverse as astronomy, food production, community health interventions and proposals to generate electricity from bacteria in the soil.
The Eskom Expo is a valuable platform for young scientists and engineers to showcase their inventions and innovations. It demonstrates how South Africa’s youth is looking for solutions in the fields of science and technology to address the fundamental socio-economic issues that are confronting broader society and hampering our ability to “make the future work” – as envisaged in the National Development Plan.
The NDP2030 is bullish about this prospect with its very focused emphasis on investment in education, training, technical skills and research into issues and fields which can accelerate the economic and social transformation of the country.
The growing shift towards green power and sustainable energy resources will require the utilisation of new and different skills within Eskom, and we will, increasingly, have to tap into the knowledge and experience generated in related fields, including the social sciences, economics, governance and communications disciplines.
Eskom, however, sees itself as more than a power supplier. Our funding of the Expo for Young Scientists is one example of our commitment to expand the country’s skills bases and invest in education and training.
By nurturing a passion for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and innovation we are deepening Eskom’s involvement in critical issues that will shape the South African developmental trajectory for the rest of this decade.