Former acting Eskom CEO Matshela Koko. (Madelene Cronje/M&G)
Nuclear energy and synchronous generators are the only solutions to South Africa’s energy crisis because renewable energy and gas expectations are expected to remain insufficient nationally, according to former Eskom chief executive, Matshela Koko.
Eskom defines a synchronous generator as an electrical generator that produces alternating current electricity. It operates in sync with the frequency of the grid it’s connected to, generating electricity at a constant speed determined by the grid frequency.
Koko dismissed the notion that renewable energy could solve South Africa’s energy crisis as a “layman’s view”, arguing that its unreliable nature prevented accurate calculation of its available energy.
Speaking to the Mail & Guardian, Koko said calls to revise the Integrated Resource Plan, the country’s energy blueprint, to upscale the renewable energy allocations from 50 gigawatts to 60GW are incorrect because the best way to decarbonise and keep the lights on is to build nuclear power plants.
Koko resigned from Eskom in 2018 after he was accused of corruption, including leaking Eskom information to a Gupta associate, the M&G previously reported.
The former executive said that relying on gas was risky because of the uncertainty of Mozambique and other neighbouring countries having sufficient reserves available for export to South Africa.
Koko’s concerns come after Eskom plunged the country into stage six load-shedding last weekend, saying it had faced setbacks caused by generating units being taken out of service and had boiler tube trouble.
It added that there were “unplanned outages at 17 798 MW of generating capacity, while the capacity out of service for planned maintenance is at 6 653 MW”.
On Sunday, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said non-performing renewables had pushed up the stages of power cuts.
Eskom has 6 280MW of renewable energy connected to the grid through the Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme and the Eskom-owned Sere Wind Farm in the Western Cape. This brings into question whether Ramokgopa’s statement that renewables were not performing was accurate.
The utility, in a response to the M&G, said that the energy received through renewables is insufficient to provide backup power when needed.
But, in a statement, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association chief executive Rethabile Melamu said Ramokgopa’s comments at the weekend misrepresented the role that renewable energy (particularly solar PV) had to play in the nation’s energy mix.
Contrary to what the minister had said, without the contribution of renewables to the grid, the country would have experienced higher stages of load-shedding.
Koko said although the renewable sector has a vital role in the country’s energy future, it is essential to address concerns surrounding the lack of baseload in renewables — the amount of energy available at a certain time.
Concerns about insufficient baseload have characterised discussions around renewable energy, specifically about what happens during peak-demand periods when the sun isn’t shining and/or there is no wind.
Koko added that despite solar and wind technology becoming more affordable because of the technological innovation happening in the value chains linked to green energy, it primarily benefits households instead of the energy grid, as Eskom must prioritise supplying power to charge inverters during peak hours.
“Solar is becoming cheaper and must be used for distributed generation. In other words,
households and commercial entities must use solar, not because it’s going to keep the system stable, but because it’s cheaper now,” he explained.
Last month, Ramokgopa issued a determination in the Government Gazette for the country to procure 2 500MW of nuclear power after announcing that there was a compelling case for expanding nuclear power to build additional generation capacity to address the concerns around inadequate planning.
In December, the deputy director general for nuclear energy regulation and management, Zizamele Mbambo, said that because the build time for new nuclear power facilities ranges from 10 to 12 years, the power procured could be anticipated by 2033.
Koko said if Eskom’s financial situation improved, it would proceed with its initiative to install 11 synchronous generators across all its power stations as an alternative baseload solution.
This approach is crucial for ensuring grid stability, as relying solely on wind, solar and batteries might not be sufficient, Koko added.
“This includes taking all power stations as they are to use the current turbine for the synchronous generation to keep the grid stable. So, the whole story of shutting down everything to build green and solar, it’s a political thing. It’s not an engineering thing,” he said.
Koko noted that the generators could be unaffordable for the utility, which announced a staggering loss of R23.9 billion for the financial year ending in March 2023, caused in part by a significant increase in load-shedding, a growing municipal debt burden and soaring losses attributed to criminal activities.