Electricity + Control August 2016

LIGHT + CURRENT

Africa rising needs good private investors and public opinion

The African Renaissance will remain a pipedream unless African countries are prepared and willing to trade with one another and to rely on one another’s companies and resources for infrastructure development, said the Minister of Home Affairs, Mr Malusi Gigaba, in his opening address at a conference hosted by the University of Johannesburg (UJ) on Monday 11 July 2016. The Minister was speaking at the 5 th International Conference on Infrastructure Development inAfrica, hosted by UJ in collaboration with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, Ghana; and Bells University ofTechnology, Ogun, Nigeria.The conference explored sustainable practices in develop- ment and procurement for large infrastructure projects.

“Four critical issues need to be looked at to unlock infrastructure development in Africa,” said Minister Gigaba. “Firstly, countries need long-term vision and planning to provide investors with project pipelines so that they can plan their invest- ments. Secondly, coordination both within and between countries is needed to maximise impact and resolve red tape and other impedi- ments. In addition, institutional infrastructure needs to be set up to drive such development programmes and ensure coordination and alignment. Finally, funding is needed to explore various financing models, including pension funds and public-public partnerships, to unlock the balance sheets of investors and get infrastructure projects off the ground in Africa.” Echoing the Minister’s sentiments, Prof DidibhukuThwala said Africa’s impressive economic performance over the past decade has rekindled hopes for the continent’s future as an important player in the global economic landscape. Enquiries: Email theresevw@uj.ac.za

From Left to Right: Prof Saurabh Sinha, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, UJ, Prof Tshilidzi Marwala (UJ Deputy Vice-Chancell or: Research, Postgraduate Studies and the Library); Mr Malusi Gigaba (Minister of Home Affairs), Prof Didi (Wellington) Thwala (UJ Professor of Construction Project Management; Chairperson of the Johannesburg Development Agency; and member of the Gautrain Board.)

Answers to SA’s COP21 challenges Andreas Pistauer, Siemens

As a signatory to the Paris Agreement drawn up at COP21, South Africa requires a diligent transition of energy systems. There is not just one solution for achiev- ing a sustainable, economical and reliable energy system.The respective political and economic conditions in each specific region need to be analysed in order to find themost suitable answer. South Africa, the dominant player in Af- rican coal, is seeking to diversify its power mix. Renewables, hydropower, gas and nuclear operators are all seeking to play a role in bringing the share of coal in power output down from over 90% today to less than 33% by 2040. The Independent Power Producer Pro- gramme (IPP) has proven to be highly suc- cessful in South Africa, and has attracted considerable foreign investment. This places the country in a privileged situation from which to choose from a multitude of energy mixes. As a result, there is an increase in the number of photovoltaic (PV) and concen- trated solar power (CSP) solar projects, as

well as wind farms.Another technology with considerable potential for low emissions while efficiently meeting demand outputs is gas-to-power. Mozambique is thought to have one of the largest reserves of natural gas, and South Africa is well set to take advantage of utilising this as part of the Department of Energy’s 3 125 MW gas-to-power pro- gramme, plus a 600 MW additional gas determination. When compared to a coal-fired Steam Power Plant (SPP), a gas-fired Combined Cycle Power Plant (CCPP) offers far greater environmental and investment advantages. Using a 600 MW plant as an example, CPPP runs at >60% efficiency, while a new SSP runs at around 43% efficiency. The CCPP also ensures a 58% reduction in CO 2 emissions.This equates to the annual elimination of approximately 15,5-million tonnes of CO 2 for South Africa, when taking into account a combination of the 3 125 MW and 600 MW programmes. A 600 MW CCPP can produce its first power within 20 months and is fully com-

pleted after 32 months, as opposed to 6 months for the SSP. Finally, a CCPP con- sumes almost 50% less land (111 000 m 2 versus 220 000 m 2 ), thereby ensuring that it effectively produces the same power using half the space. Gas-to-power is certainly a cost and energy-efficient solution to South Africa’s long-term sustainability targets that align with COP21 objectives. It is, however, not the only solution, and should form part of an integral energy mix. Enquiries: Keshin Govender. Tel. +27 (0) 11 652 2000 or email keshin.govender@siemens.com

Andreas Pistauer, Siemens

Electricity+Control August ‘16

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