- This virtual renewable electricity system will empower consumers to purchase renewable energy from various producers throughout the country.
- The system would significantly boost the utilisation of renewable energy and alleviate the strain on Eskom.
South Africa is pitching up to launch its inaugural virtual renewable electricity system by 2024. A senior government official has indicated that this new system is expected to be operational by the end of the coming year. This development, reported by Reuters, holds the potential to significantly boost the utilisation of renewable energy and alleviate the strain on Eskom. This state-owned utility company has been grappling with challenges due to the ageing of its power plants and an overburdened transmission grid.
These challenges have resulted in frequent and extended power cuts, lasting up to 10 hours daily, to prevent a complete grid collapse. In a significant move, Eskom entered into an agreement in August with Vodacom, the African subsidiary of Vodafone, to introduce a system called “virtual wheeling.” This innovative system will empower consumers to purchase renewable energy from various producers throughout the country. The system would also allow renewable power from major producers to be accessible to smaller users such as individual buildings, housing communities, and factories.
South Africa’s Minister of Electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, expressed the primary goal of this initiative as the protection of South Africa’s economy from potential collapse, stating, “What we’re trying to resolve really is to ensure that we protect the South African economy from total collapse.” A distribution network analyst at Eskom disclosed that Eskom and Vodacom are presently collaborating on developing this system, with plans to make it operational by the close of 2024.