Electricity sector in South Africa

The Electricity sector in South Africa is an important part of energy in South Africa.[2][3] [4][5][1] Most power stations in South Africa are owned and operated by the state owned enterprise, Eskom. These plants account for 80% of all the electricity produced in South Africa and 45% of all electricity produced on the African continent.

Electricity sector of South Africa
Kusile Power Station, the 10th Biggest Coal Power Station in the World

Power Station Maximum Generating Capacity as of 2019[1]

  Coal (83%)
  Pumped Storage (6%)
  Gas (5%)
  Nuclear (4%)
  Hydro (2%)
  Wind (0.2%)

South Africa produced around 245,000 GWh of electricity in 2021.[6][7] Most of this electricity is produced using coal and is consumed domestically. In 2022, 12,300 GWh were exported to Eswatini, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe and othercountries participating in the Southern African Power Pool.[8] In 2022, South Africa imported 10,800 GWh from the Cahora Bassa Hydroelectric Power Station in Mozambique via the 1,920 MW Cahora Bassa (HDVC) Power Transmission System.[9][10]

Electricity Production
See also: List of power stations in South Africa

The South African energy grid has around 60,000 MW of capacity, but with Eskom’s aging fleet of coal power stations, the country faces constant rolling blackouts as they are unable to meet the energy demand.

The National Grid

Coal Power Station make up 78% of the electricity grid,[11] so the carbon intensity of electricity generation is higher than most other countries at over 800 gCO2/kWh.[12]

Open Cycle Gas Turbine Power Plants powered by diesel make up 5.9% of the energy grid and are use as peaking power plants. With the shortfall of energy production, although expensive, these power stations are used more often to reduce the rolling blackouts.

The remaining grid is made up of Wind (5.7%), Hydro (3.9%), Solar (3.6%), Nuclear (3.2%) and to a smaller degree, Biomass and Landfill Gas.[13]

History

Prior to the establishment of Eskom the provision of electricity was dominated by municipalities and private companies. The city of Kimberley was the first user of public electricity in South Africa when it installed electric streetlights run off a coal fired power plant in 1882 to reduce crime at night.[14]: 5  The first central power station and distribution system in South Africa consisting of a 150 kW generator with two boilers and located at Cape Town Harbour was completed in 1891 to supply power to government buildings in the nearby city.[15] In 1893 the town (now neighbourhood) of Wynberg in Cape Town opened a power station to provide power to a local tram system and public streetlights.[15] This was followed by the first municipal power station built by the City of Cape Town in 1895 with the construction of the Graaff Electric Lighting Works to power 775 streetlights.[16] Not all early power stations were successful, such as the short lived President Street Power Station in Johannesburg. Constructed in 1906, the use of unsuitable fuel in an experimental engine design lead to an explosion in 1907.[17]

Eskom was founded by the Electricity Act of 1922 which allowed for the establishment of a government owned non-profit company to provide electricity. In 1948 Eskom bought out the Victoria Falls and Transvaal Power Company with government support for £14.5 million (roughly equivalent to £2.55 billion in 2017) to become South Africa's primary electricity provider. Eskom dropped its non-profit mandate in the late 1970s and government control over the company was expanded in 1998 with the passing of the Eskom Amendment Act.[18]: 5–8 

Eskom
Main article: Eskom

Eskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission (ESCOM) and also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteits voorsienings kommissie (EVKOM), by the government of the Union of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act (1922). Eskom represents South Africa in the Southern African Power Pool. The utility is the largest producer of electricity in Africa,[19][20] is among the top seven utilities in the world in terms of generation capacity and among the top nine in terms of sales. It is the largest of South Africa's state owned enterprises. Eskom operates a number of notable power stations, including Kendal Power Station, and Koeberg nuclear power station in the Western Cape Province, the only nuclear power plant in Africa. The company is divided into Generation, Transmission and Distribution divisions and together Eskom generates approximately 95% of electricity used in South Africa.

References
  1. "THE SOUTH AFRICAN ENERGY SECTOR REPORT 2021" (PDF). 2021.
  2. "Nuclear Power in South Africa". World Nuclear Association. Retrieved 6 October 2010.
  3. "Eskom uses tight power supply to defend tariff hike". Mail & Guardian. 28 June 2009. Retrieved 8 January 2010.
  4. OECD, African Development Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (4 Dec 2009). African Economic Outlook 2009 : Country Notes: Volumes 1 and 2. OECD Publishing. p. 583. ISBN 9789264076181. Retrieved 20 September 2013.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  5. http://www.ee.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/New_Power_Generators_RSA-CSIR-14Oct2016.pdf
  6. "BP Statistical Review of World Energy July 2021".
  7. "The World Fact Book". Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  8. "Cape Argus".
  9. "Energy Security Master Plan – Electricity 2007–2025" (PDF). dme.gov.za. p. 15. Retrieved 12 January 2010.
  10. "Apollo substation at full capacity". www.eskom.co.za. Retrieved 2016-01-03.
  11. "Top 25 Coal Power Countries in 2020". Ember. 2021-04-13. Retrieved 2021-10-24.
  12. Electric Insights Quarterly (PDF) (Report).
  13. "Data tables – Data & Statistics".
  14. Holtzhausen, Jacobus Petrus (March 2012). "A comparative analysis of the coverage of the South African electrical energy crisis during the period 2005-2010 by Cape Town newspapers" (PDF). Stellenbosch University. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  15. "Eskom Heritage: FIRST CENTRAL POWER STATION - 1891". Eskom. Archived from the original on 31 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.
  16. Fox, Justin & Westwood, Alison (2016). Secret Cape Town (PDF). Cape Town: JONGLEZ. p. 68. ISBN 978-2-36195-140-5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-08-02. Retrieved 2021-10-24.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  17. J Shorten, The Johannesburg Saga, ‘The City Electricity Department,’ page 599 ff.
  18. Conradie, S. R.; Messerschmidt, L. J. M. (2000). A Symphony of Power: The Eskom Story. Johannesburg: Chris van Rensburg Publishers. p. 77.
  19. Dana Sanchez (28 October 2014). "Which Countries Produce And Consume Most Electricity In Africa?". Retrieved 28 October 2014.
  20. "Electricity - production - Country Comparison - TOP 100".

See also
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