Landbou kan binne een jaar die oplossing vir beurtkrag bied | Agriculture has the solution to load shedding within a year
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15 Februarie 2019
Landbou kan binne een jaar die oplossing vir beurtkrag bied
Agri SA se lede het die vermoë om elektrisiteit deur sonkragopwekking te verskaf, wat nodig is om toekomstige beurtkrag te voorkom. Daar is reeds 500 aansoeke vir sonkrag-opwekkingsaanlegte, wat die potensiaal het om 1 400 MW by te dra om druk op die kragnetwerk te verlig. Indien die administrasieprosesse gestroomlyn word, kan dié 500 aansoeke en ander uitgerol word.
“Ons vra nie om befondsing of selfs spesiale behandeling nie, net om die proses binne Eskom en NERSA te bespoedig om hierdie aansoeke te verwerk,” sê Nicol Jansen, Agri SA se voorsitter van die Sentrum van Uitnemendheid: Ekonomie en Handel. “Dit is ‘n wen-wen geleentheid vir die regering en Suid-Afrika.”
Kleinskaalse sonfotovoltaïese (PV) installasies bied ‘n geleentheid vir boere om elektrisiteit op te wek en druk op die kragnetwerk te verlig. Ongelukkig is slegs 13 projekte tans gekoppel en in bedryf, weens Eskom se stadige verwerking en administrasie van aansoeke, asook die stadige implementering van elektrisiteitsregulasies en die bottelnek om by NERSA te registreer.
Indien Eskom en NERSA hul prosesse kan bespoedig, kan hierdie aansoeke (meestal van boere) 1 400 MW genereer wat fase 1 beurtkrag kan verhoed. Verder kan die landbou dié 1 400 MW potensiaal meer as verdubbel, indien kommersiële banke bereid is om sonkragsentrales as sekuriteit te gebruik om toegang tot kapitaal te verkry. Tans benodig banke bykomende sekuriteit om hierdie projekte te finansier, wat deelname aan projekte beperk.
“Deur die regulatoriese en administratiewe beperkinge te verwyder en die gebruik van sonkraginstallasies as sekuriteit vir befondsingsprojekte, kan boere potensieel met verdere uitbreiding genoeg elektrisiteit verskaf om fase 3 beurtkrag te verhoed,” sê Jansen.
Agri SA sal met die Minister van Openbare Ondernemings, Pravin Gordhan en die Minister van Energie, Jeff Radebe vergader om voorstelle te bespreek.
Navrae
Nicol Jansen
Agri SA Voorsitter: Ekonomie en Handel Sentrum van Uitnemendheid
(S) 082 948 2629
Dr. Requier Wait
Agri SA Hoof: Ekonomie en Handel Sentrum van Uitnemendheid
(S) 073 304 0932
15 February 2019
Agriculture has the solution to load shedding within a year
Agri SA’s members has the potential to supply the electricity needed to prevent future load shedding through solar power generation. There are already 500 applications for solar generation plants, that have the potential to contribute 1 400 MW to relieve strain on the grid. If the administration processes are streamlined, these 500 applications and others can be rolled out.
“We are not asking for funding or even special treatment, just to speed up the process within Eskom and NERSA to process these applications,” said Nicol Jansen, Agri SA chair of the Centre for Excellence: Economics and Trade. “This is a win-win opportunity for government and South Africa.”
Small-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) installations present an opportunity for farmers to generate electricity and relieve strain on the grid. Unfortunately, due to Eskom’s slow processing and administration of applications, as well as the slow implementation of electricity regulations and the bottleneck to register with NERSA, only 13 projects are currently connected and operational.
If Eskom and NERSA can fast-track their processes, these applications (mostly from farmers) can generate 1 400 MW that can prevent stage 1 load-shedding. Furthermore, agriculture could more than double the 1 400 MW potential if commercial banks are willing to use solar plants as security to get access to capital. Currently, banks require additional security to finance these projects, which limits participation.
“By removing the regulatory and administrative constraints and by allowing solar installations to be used as security for funding projects, farmers could potentially with further expansion supply enough electricity to prevent stage 3 load shedding,” said Jansen.
Agri SA will engage with the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan and the Minister of Energy, Jeff Radebe to discuss proposals.
Enquiries
Nicol Jansen
Agri SA Chairman: Economics and Trade Centre of Excellence
(C) 082 948 2629
Dr. Requier Wait
Agri SA Head: Economics and Trade Centre of Excellence
(C) 073 304 0932