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Latest Eskom outages stress need for alternative energy
But, can renewable energy provide the answer?
(Published in MINING April/May 2014 )
By Stef Terblanche
South Africa’s embattled power
utility Eskom recently resorted to electricity load shedding for the first time
since 2008, raising the gloomy spectre of revisiting the costly power outages
and production shut-downs of that fateful year.
This also rekindled the debate
on what needs to be done, or whether enough is being done to prevent future
power shortages, especially in the mining and other industries that are heavy
users of electricity.
One issue that immediately put
up its hand for discussion was the use of renewable energy by the mining
industry. Questions arose such as whether this option was being embraced by the
industry, or whether it really was an option, one that could offer an
alternative source of affordable and reliable energy.
It appears that both the
debate and a journey of further discovery may still have some distance to go.
Mining veteran and consultant at Cadiz Corporate
Solutions Peter Major was quick to point out that Eskom’s latest round of load
shedding would further strain the relationship between government and the big
mining companies, while again highlighting the need for South Africa to give
much more thought to investing in renewable energy sources.
