Kwanalu » Landbou kan binne een jaar die oplossing vir beurtkrag bied | Agriculture has the solution to load shedding within a year
“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.
“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.
Agri SA Voorsitter: Ekonomie en Handel Sentrum van Uitnemendheid
Agri SA Hoof: Ekonomie en Handel Sentrum van Uitnemendheid
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.