Page 5 - AfrElec Week 07 2023

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

to fix and modernise the existing fleet of power Governments across Africa are working with
plants because that’s fast, that’s cheap and it foreign firms to deliver off-grid solar products
allows at the same time to have a reasonable to the millions of people that currently do not
price of electricity,” the Russian tycoon said in have access to electricity. This can drive eco-
an interview with Bloomberg during his recent nomic development in the short term, but there
business trip to Johannesburg. are long-term challenges, with several studies
While Ramaphosa has backed the drive for suggesting that maintenance costs often sur-
more solar and wind power, others in his gov- pass what rural households and communities
ernment, including Energy Minister Gwede can afford.
Mantashe, a former coal-mine union leader, A new facility in Cape Town hopes to chal- There has never
have decried the push to transition to green lenge the situation by democratising clean
energy. Eskom has said it needs ZAR72bn cooking and renewable energy that will serve been a more
($4bn) over the next five years to expand the low-income households across Sub-Saharan critical point
grid. Additional funding will be required to Africa. Ener-G-Africa’s (EGA) new facility was
connect 53 GW of clean energy capacity by 2032 launched on February 2 as the first and only to make real
as coal plants shut down. small solar panel plant in the world certified
In the Americas and Europe, high-qual- by TUV Rheinland, a German-accredited and commitments
ity small solar panels are readily available, but approved inspection authority. It will manu-
sold at a price that would not be affordable for facture solar panels that can be used with its towards moving
low-income households. In South Africa, many biomass stoves, which are sold both locally and away from
high-income households and businesses are abroad, Engineering News reported.
now investing in solar systems to overcome The 20-W panels will sell for $18 each, the fossil fuels and
rolling blackouts and also reduce their depend- company said. In addition to domestic South
ence on Eskom, which is increasing the price African sales, the panels will also be distributed turning towards
of electricity. Low-income households, mean- to Malawi, Angola, Mozambique, Zimbabwe,
while, are unable to afford this investment, and Ghana, Zambia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the vast energy
this is exacerbating the levels of inequality in the Rwanda. The plant is uniquely focused on small opportunities of
country. solar panels and EGA will increase the size of
the plant to scale with demand. renewables.
Possible solutions Alderman James Vos, mayoral committee
Nevertheless, many energy experts agree that member for economic growth, welcomed this
renewable energy technologies align per- project and the potential energy supply oppor-
fectly with the needs of the African continent, tunities it might bring.
where much of the population lives in rural “With an increased demand for solar panels,
or remote areas. Since solar power energy we can create job opportunities for the millions
solutions are scalable and are not dependent of currently unemployed South Africans,” he
on grid connectivity, they provide a perfect said. “One report showed that the solar PV
opportunity for private sector investors to industry alone could create up to 30,000 jobs
service a wide range of needs by delivering per year. There has never been a more critical
affordable and sustainable electricity services point to make real commitments towards mov-
through mini- and micro-grids and off-grid ing away from fossil fuels and turning towards
renewable systems. the vast energy opportunities of renewables.”™

Week 07 15•February•2023 www. NEWSBASE .com P5