Page 7 - AfrElec Week 21 2022
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AfrElec PROCUREMENT AfrElec
Johannesburg in quest to procure
up to 500MW from IPPs
SOUTH AFRICA JOHANNESBURG’S executive mayor Mpho imperative. Phalatse said the city also needed to
Phalatse aims to add an extra 500MW of alter- incorporate smart technologies to protect and
native energy to the grid, TimesLIVE reported work the grid.
on May 25. “Our energy stance is premised on the sus-
According to Phalatse, the energy distribu- tainable energy strategy, which will introduce
tor City Power will issue a request for proposals an energy mix that includes independent power
(RFP) for the procurement of electricity from producers and small-scale power generators,”
independent power producers (IPP) in three said the executive mayor.
months. The procurement will be conducted on Prior to the release of the RFP, the Environ-
a phased basis and the first projects are expected ment and Infrastructure Services Department
to be rolled out over the coming 18 to 24 months. (EISD) and City Power would embark on a
Speaking at the Energy Indaba that took place fact-finding tour of Cape Town “in order to
in Johannesburg on May 23–24, gathering 500 learn from those who are at an advanced stage
energy and city officials, experts and academics, of employing many of the programmes we have
Phalatse told delegates that without cost-effec- spoken about during the Indaba,” Phalatse said.
tive and reliable power, Johannesburg’s economy These will include how to best manage RFPs
is unable to realize its true potential. and how to deal with widespread infrastructure
“In addressing our energy crisis, it is impor- crimes, like cable theft.
tant to understand that when Joburg — the A panel of experts has been set up to advise
country’s economic hub which makes up 15% the city and hold it accountable for the outcomes
of the country’s GDP — cannot keep the lights and deliberations of the indaba. “The message
on it means that mass economic activity is sus- is that we are taking active steps to mitigate and
pended for hours on end, undermining all efforts eventually arrest the devastation of the last 15
to build a post-Covid economy,” Phalatse said. years caused by rolling blackouts,” she said.
The city currently sees 90% of its electrical “The city of Johannesburg is indeed entering
supply coming from Eskom and 10% from the the most exciting energy era in our history. It is
Kelvin power station, an IPP. Both are coal-pow- exciting because indications are that the city is
ered, with Johannesburg calling for green energy positioning itself to become more energy inde-
solutions which will also be more affordable pendent, with less reliance on Eskom for our
and respond positively to the climate change power needs,” Phalatse added.
SNC-Lavalin win Saudi-
Egyptian grid contract
EGYPT THE Egyptian Electricity Transmission Com- at peak times, powering upward of 20mn people.
pany and the Saudi Electric Company have The PMO mandate includes supervising
jointly awarded a four-year project management the design and execution of the project, and
office (PMO) and engineering design review ser- involves supervision of contractors throughout
vices contract to Canada’s SNC-Lavalin for the the engineering, construction and commission-
$1.8bn Saudi-Egypt grids connection project. ing phases.
The two companies are the co-developers of a Since the 1970s, SNC-Lavalin established
large-scale high-voltage direct current (HVDC) itself as a world-renowned engineering provider
interconnection project linking the two coun- for HVDC systems. Its global team consists of
tries. The interconnection will extend 1,300 km highly experienced HVDC specialists and pro-
from Cairo, Egypt to Madinah in Saudi Arabia to ject delivery teams supported by a network of
enable the exchange of up to 3 GW of electricity world-renowned industry experts.
Week 21 26•May•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7
