What is municipality doing in the face of load shedding?

GEORGE NEWS - George Municipality remains the entity responsible for fulfilling its duty of supplying reliable services, including electricity, so what are the implications whenever Eskom institutes load-shedding? And how is essential infrastructure for providing drinking water and sewage services kept running?

Local developer Prinsloo Botes says the municipality should reveal what it has been doing to secure a reliable electricity source in order to fulfill its contractual duty to households and businesses in George.

"Nobody in George has a services agreement with Eskom. We all have services agreements, including electricity, with the George Municipality and they are failing to keep up their end of the deal. The fact that their provider cannot deliver, surely cannot exempt them completely from fulfilling their contractual obligations," Botes says.

He wants to know if the old power plant that was in use many years ago cannot be revived.

"And I'm not interested to hear about rules and regulations and laws that prevent the municipality from finding alternative electricity sources. We all know government officials, whether national, provincial or municipal, have little regard for obeying laws, so why start with this one?"

Lightening the load

In response, George Mayor Leon van Wyk says the municipality is concerned about the negative effect that load shedding has on residents and the local economy.

"Our immediate concern is that we use approximately 10% of the electricity that we purchase from Eskom to power our own infrastructure, including our water works, wastewater treatment plants, sewerage and water pumping stations, buildings, etc.

"We have therefore acquired generators as an immediate measure. The next step is to install an equivalent capacity of PV solar plants and to try and relieve George of Stage 1 load-shedding, and to move to getting off Stage 2 as the next phase.

"We are therefore being very pro-active in simultaneously negotiating with Eskom on load curtailment and discussing funding solutions, bearing in mind that every 1MW costs roughly R18m to install."

Pioneering work

He says the electrotechnical services directorate is exploring the most effective battery storage methodology, and is also evaluating proposals from independent private producers.

"In many respects, much of the work we are undertaking is pioneering in the local government space. We will keep the public informed on the progress being made."

Renewable energy for buildings

Director of Electrotechnical Services Bongani Mandla says the municipality has embarked on a number of renewable energy projects to supply in the power requirements of its buildings and facilities. "The municipality is also boldly driving the building of a total of 10MWp (Megawatt peak) PV solar plants (1 MWp plus 8 to 9 MWp)."

Projects received from prior requests for proposals are also being evaluated to determine the next steps to be taken, as well as the feasibility of some of these proposals.

"The municipality is also finalising work on the scaled-up solar projects and battery storage, and once concluded this will be announced to the public," he says.

No reviving of old plant

"George Municipality as per the conditions of our licence only provides electricity to residents as we in turn are supplied with by Eskom. The old George plant cannot be revived and as such the municipality is considering various other projects to deliver the alternative energy.

"Driving these projects is done to ensure we ultimately deliver reliable and sustainable power to our consumers."

'No benefit to public'

Botes says most of the generation now being installed will not benefit the public, although their levies will be financing it.

"Many years ago when George was a much smaller municipality it generated its own electricity. Surely today with all the technological advancements it is also possible? We are paying for a service that we are not getting. It has to stop."

Read a media statement by George Municipality:

Recently announced renewable energy initiatives show George Municipality's proactiveness to address the electricity crissi in the country - Mayor van Wyk

Issued by George Municipality, 26 July 2022

The George Municipality is proud to announce that it has already heeded President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to contribute to interventions to overcome the scarcity of energy in South Africa as the Municipality has already embarked on several renewable energy projects, to address the power requirements of our own buildings and facilities.

Reacting to President Ramaphosa’s address on the electricity crisis in South Africa last night, the Executive Mayor of George, Ald Leon van Wyk said: “We are pleased to confirm that the George Council has already been pro-active finding solutions to the crisis South Africa faces on electricity shortages. Two weeks ago, we widely issued a media release announcing the envisaged installation of Photovoltaic (PV) solar plants projects in our facilities and buildings to reduce Energy Consumption from Eskom and thereby cutting down on electricity costs and increasing sustainability.”

“We are also boldly driving the building of a total of 10 MWp PV Solar plants (1 MWp plus 8-9MWp). The municipality has been pro-active in simultaneously negotiating with Eskom on load curtailment and discussing funding solutions, bearing in mind that every 1 MW costs roughly R18million to install. Our Electrotechnical Directorate will going forward evaluate projects received from independent private producers, to determine the next steps as well as the feasibility of some of these proposals.

"The municipality is also finalising work on the scaled-up Solar Projects and Battery Storage, and once concluded will be announced to the public. Much of the work we are undertaking is pioneering in the local government space,” Mayor van Wyk added.

The seven envisaged projects to be rolled out over the next three years:

400 kilowatt peak (kWp) PV at the Outeniqua wastewater treatment facility
500 kWp at the PV Gwaing Wastewater treatment facility
400 kWp PV plant at the Denneoord New Water Works facility
20 kWp PV + 40-kilowatt hour (kWh) battery storage for the Electrotechnical Services building
4 kWp PV + 10 kWh battery storage for the Tourism building
1 kWp PV + 5 kWh battery storage for Schaapkop substation
1 MWp solar farm (ERF464 – Municipal land)
8-9 MWp bigger solar farm (location still to be finalised)

“A footprint of PV solar plant installation in one of the municipal properties has already been created. The 300 Kilo Watt peak solar plant at the Civic Centre parking lot was the first solar project to be completed and was commissioned last year September and has already demonstrated positive results. The energy produced from the system supplies the Civic building and the excess flows into the grid and supplies the neighbouring houses.”

“The Municipality also recently announced that Forty (40) major road intersections in George are free from Eskom’s load shedding, planned and unplanned power outages and the traffic flow continues seamlessly. This is due to the installation of the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) units that energise the traffic lights during outages.”

“George is ready to be a party in solving this problem as the Council has also recently approved a policy on Renewable Energy Policy that essentially facilitates the commitment of George to a resilient, integrated municipal energy system with a diversified energy mix to provide the least-cost, reliable energy for our residents and businesses”

“It is critical that George can integrate more renewable energy to keep electricity prices down to aid the provision of low-cost energy to residents and businesses to drive economic growth and job creation,” Ald van Wyk concluded.