Housing in Southern Africa June 2016

Energy Efficiency

Eskom and CSIR team up

T he partnership seeks to syner- gise the research capabilities of the two organisations in support of Eskom’s strategic and op- erational needs. The overall account- ability to manage the agreement will reside within Eskom’s Research, Test- ing and Development business unit. Speaking at the signing of the five year agreement, Eskom Group Chief Executive, Brian Molefe, says that the partnership will strengthen the relationship between the CSIR and Eskom. “The partnership will further strengthen our collaborative rela- tionship and, accordingly, provides a long term platform to perform scientific and operational research and evaluation tasks towards the realisation of Eskom’s strategic and operational needs.” He added that Eskomwill prioritise projects to ensure operational and financial sustainability, as well as refurbish current plants to provide electricity on new infrastructure projects. CSIR Chief Executive Officer Sibusiso Sibisi says that energy is one of the CSIR’s area , s of focus. “Together Eskomand the CSIR can come up with innovative solutions for current and future energy issues, determine what the new electricity system will look like and what the plans and responses should be that need to be put in place to build the T ransport Minister Dipuo Peters says that the construction of the solar plant took 24 weeks to complete. “The R13 million solar plant is in line with government’s developmental imperatives, energy security priorities and environmen- tal conservation obligations,” said Peters. The solar farm, which is located on 0,7 hectares of landwithin the airport precinct, uses an 11 kV substation as it its main source of supply, which is located at the airport. “Rigorous practical training and skills transfer to operate and main- tain the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) plant was conducted, which included cleaning modules, replacing mal- functioning electrical components and monitoring performance of PV plant, amongst other technical skills,”

Eskom and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) have signed a partnership that is aimed at aligning and enhancing interaction between the two bodies in support of national goals.

future South African energy system,” says Sibisi. Eskom has identified three im- peratives that have been expanded to identify newand existing technolo- gies and capabilities that can address specific challenges. The organisa- tions will work together on extending the transmission components’ lifes- pan through predictivemaintenance; real-time grid monitoring using the Advanced Fire Information System and laser-based refurbishment of high-value components, among others. This also includes safely deliver- ing on the new build programme and capacity management. Re- search and development will focus

on the reduction of water consump- tion; development of advanced emission control technologies; the development of components for use in advanced high-temperature gas reactors andmodelling of associated technologies. Aspects to be jointly investigated include security risk management solutions, to prevent theftand safeguardhigh-value assets; cable and infrastructure theft detec- tion and prevention. In the long term, Eskom is also facing significant challenges from fundamental shifts in the electricity and energy system. This includes an increasing contribution of renewable technologies as well as the future focus on new build. ■

TheAirports CompanySouthAfrica (ACSA) recently launched its second solar power plant at the Kimberley Airport, in the Northern Cape. Solar power plant launched in Kimberley

and report environmental issues at its nine airports. The completion of the solar power plant at Kimberley Airport forms part of ACSA’s broader plan to install solar energy plants at all six regional airports over the next three to five years tomake themmore self-sufficient,” concluded Peters. ■

says Peters. The Kimberley Airport Solar Plant will utilise Solar PV. It is the second regional airport in South Africa to be powered through solar energy, with the first being theGeorge Airport Solar Plant, which opened in February 2016. “ACSA has a statutory responsibility to manage, mitigate

June 2016