As I was thinking about the content of this week’s tech talk, an article appeared in the popular press about a proposed plan to sheath the edge of the Thwaites glacier in Antarctica with a 100km long curtain to protect it from melting and potentially raising sea levels up to a suggested three metres.

The argument is that while a slow melt occurs as the warmer undersea current comes into contact with the edge of the glacier, as the climate warms so the undersea currents get warmer and the melting accelerates.

Moreover with that warming also the winter refreezing results in less ice recovery.

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Such geoengineering, or ‘engineering’ of the climate, is increasingly being talked about as scientists look for ways to slow or halt global warming.

Indeed, it is already being practised in the form of carbon capture from the atmosphere.

John Moore, professor of climate change at the University of Lapland’s Arctic Centre in Finland, is said to be on a mission to save the Thwaites glacier and quoted as expressing confidence the Antarctic Treaty countries will foot the $50 billion bill.

Cool Earth

So too is Yoram Rosen, director of the Asher Space Research Institute at the Technion Israel, who also has been in the news recently with a different type of geoengineering mission – in this case by placing a large shield out in space between the Sun and Earth to reduce the amount of solar radiation reaching the Earth.

The Institute, which claims to be developing a demonstrator in collaboration with the National Centre for Space and Science in the United Arab Emirates and the Israeli geospatial company ImageSat International, believes that a large-scale initiative has the potential to contribute significantly to the reduction of global warming by up to 1.5^oC.

The ‘Cool Earth’ proposal is to place the satellite at the first Lagrange point – a distance of about 1.5 million kilometres from the Earth towards the Sun where the gravitational forces of the two bodies cancel each other allowing a satellite there to remain in essentially a fixed position.

In practice, the satellite would exhibit a slight back-and-forth motion by controlling the shading sail, which also could be used to alter the amount of solar shading according to global climate needs.

“This ground-breaking project offers an original way to cope with the global climate crisis and perhaps even stop its destructive effects,” asserts the Institute’s website.

“Controlling the amount of energy that reaches the earth from the sun may even allow humanity in the future to directly control the desired climate over areas of interest on the earth and possibly prevent droughts and other climate-related natural disasters.”

The Asher researchers have estimated that to achieve the desired temperature reduction, the shade would need to be around 2.5 million km2 in extent – for perspective, in size between the areas of Saudi Arabia and Argentina.

The researchers haven’t stated when they expect the demonstrator to be ready to fly but there are numerous hurdles to be overcome before a large-scale initiative such as this – or any other large-scale geoengineering proposal – could be put into practice, not least the moral with the potential unknown side effect that could occur.

In a recent paper, modelling solar geoengineering – such as the Asher Institute proposal – and carbon dioxide removal, Moore of the Thwaites glacier proposal and the co-authors suggest that combined with the standard mitigation measures they could help to limit global warming.

However, they conclude more cautiously: “Scientific uncertainties surrounding the effectiveness, scalability, and long-term impacts of solar geoengineering and carbon dioxide removal techniques necessitate comprehensive research, rigorous modelling and robust international collaboration to mitigate the risks inherent in unintended consequences and to inform responsible decision-making.”

What are your views on solar geoengineering and should it pursued?

Jonathan Spencer Jones

Specialist writer
Smart Energy International

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The $1.3 billion target facility is focused on improving strategic interconnection and cross-border energy transmission in the Southern Africa region.

The facility, which launches with $20 million in commitments from SAPP, targets a first close of $500 million in 2025 to be raised from public and private sector investors locally and internationally, as well as a final close of $1.3 billion within 24 months. The facility will have a fund life of up to 20-25 years.

RTIFF will prioritise projects that focus on connecting currently unconnected SAPP members, help relieve congestion bottlenecks to regional electricity trading, promote inter-continental power trading through transmission corridors and support the adoption of new-generation renewable energy space in the region.

According to Climate Fund Managers, energy transmission infrastructure projects are notoriously high-risk and capital-intensive, making them challenging to fund independently through sovereign capital alone.

To battle this, the facility makes use of a blended finance model, utilising public capital to balance risk and enable private capital to enter.

The fund’s architecture follows the structure of CFM’s emerging market blended finance facilities Climate Investor One, focused on renewable energy generation and transmission, and Climate Investor Two, focused on water, sanitation and ocean infrastructure.

It will comprise a $100 million target ‘Development Fund’ to provide concessional capital and development expertise, including support on viability studies, legal and financial structuring, planning and ESG compliance.

It will also include a $1.2 billion target ‘Construction Fund’ that will make direct investments through the provision of construction financing and value-add expertise for transmission project builds.

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Improving transmission between member states

Victor Mapani, chairperson of the SAPP Executive Committee, said in a release: “The provision of sustainable power can be distilled into three activities: generation, transmission and distribution. While generation receives the lion’s share of attention, the importance of delivering that power to where it is needed is equally critical.”

The facility is hoped to improve energy transmission within and between the 16 SADC member states and with other power pools.

SAPP is a cooperation of 12 Southern African countries represented by their national power utilities and some private utilities under the auspices of the SADC.

SAPP members Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Mozambique, Malawi, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe have already created a common power grid between their countries.

The SAPP also operates a competitive electricity market in the SADC region and the RTIFF will provide power companies and project developers working on transmission issues with access to patient capital and development expertise to establish strategic interconnections that allow for increased electricity trade.

Added Mapani: “Access to capital is the number one barrier facing developers of energy transmission infrastructure. RTIFF dismantles this by enabling the private sector to work alongside public sector utilities to roll out new transmission lines at scale.

“We are delighted to have appointed CFM with their strong track record in the African energy sector to establish and manage this innovative facility and to help our member states finally secure a sustainable, resilient energy supply.”

Stephen Dihwa, Coordination Centre executive director of SAPP, said: “Interconnection across SAPP via strategic transmission corridors can save the SADC region an estimated $37-42 billion in Net Present Value (NPV) by 2040. We have identified eight high-priority transmission projects for RTIFF that will bring economic benefits of $4.3 billion in NPV.”

Added Amit Mohan, head of Private Credit at CFM: “The lack of investment in grid infrastructure is one of the reasons for ongoing blackouts in many parts of Southern Africa…If we don’t invest in grids today, we will face gridlock tomorrow.

“This is even more pressing from an energy transition perspective as the world needs to embrace green electrons on the grid. CFM is proud to be associated with SAPP and appointed as the manager of RTIFF as there is a deep need to mobilise blended finance at scale and speed to enable the rollout of additional grid infrastructure in the region.”

This was the consensus of panellists who participated in a discussion at the Africa Green Economy Summit in Cape Town, South Africa.

According to Marketsandmarkets, the global Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) market is expected to grow to $17.5 billion by 2028, and while Africa is looking to tap into this growing market, the continent first needs to overcome challenges to building a home-grown battery supply chain.

Mitigating cost through partnerships

Setting up a battery precursor facility is costly and one panellist who knows about that risk is Deshan Naidoo, managing director of Afrivolt.

Afrivolt is developing Africa’s first lithium-ion cell manufacturing facility with a 5GWh installed capacity. The gigafactory will likely be located in Cape Town, South Africa.

According to Naidoo, it will require about $100 million per GWh installed, which indicates the significant foreign direct investment needed to unlock this opportunity.

The good news, explained Naidoo, is that there is a lot of capital available from local and international investors and even though the cost of localising these production facilities is high, there is tremendous economic value added by localising this technology.

The key is partnerships, he said.

Naidoo explained: “We are not going to achieve this energy transition or localisation of the value chains unless we are able to achieve international technology partnerships,” adding that Africa has never been a leader in terms of technology development so an emulation strategy makes sense.

“Afrivolt has built up these partnerships around the cell manufacturing side and on the battery precursor side,” such as US partners that can tailor the cathode chemistry based on local mineral deposits.

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Current opportunities and challenges

Panellists agreed on the importance of partnerships but identified several challenges hindering progress.

Nathan Fredericks, Industry Development Planner: Office of the COO at the Industrial Development Corporation of South Africa, stated that for an international OEM to consider partnering, policy support, evidence of supply chain, and capital must be evident.

And while the continent, and more specifically South Africa, is making headway in this regard, there is still work to be done, they agreed.

To encourage investment and development, special economic development zones are being established across Africa. These zones, according to panellists, are focus areas for investment designed to establish the infrastructure and logistics needed for effective supply chain functioning.

Maidei Matika, chief investment facilitator at GIDZ, emphasised the importance of these zones but explained that to develop facilities within them, power, water, sewage etc. are needed – and in South Africa, for example, there is a big problem with a lack of power generation capacity.

This makes it tricky, said Matika, because they are promoting investment opportunities while simultaneously finding solutions to the local challenges that ultimately hinder investment. “It’s two sides of the same coin, you are wanting a green economy and renewable energy solutions…and without that, you can’t promote the production you want to see”.

The fact that the battery value chain runs through several sectors and other value chains also brings a unique set of challenging dynamics said Fredericks, not to mention the role of geopolitics, the lack of political will and competition with China.

In terms of South Africa, added Fredericks, the country has a vibrant energy sector, good industrial roots, and demand pathways. And even though the battery industry is still nascent and skills still need to be developed, it’s possible to leverage the country’s deep industrial base to maximise local supply chain development.

A working partnership

There are examples of successful partnerships spurring the development of Africa’s battery supply chain.

Zitto Alfayo, head of project preparation at Afreximbank UK, highlighted the partnership between the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), home to lithium and cobalt resources, and Zambia, which is well endowed with manganese and copper.

Around 2021, explained Alfayo, as discussions about electric vehicles gained momentum across the continent, Afreximbank started exploring opportunities to start manufacturing locally, rather than merely exporting minerals abroad.

Ultimately, Afreximbank, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia formed an agreement and established a special economic zone for the production of battery electric vehicles and related services.

This was a first on the continent, said Alfayo, adding that “through this kind of intervention, the cost of producing and setting up a battery precursor plant on the continent was three times cheaper than in the US or China”.

“This makes a lot of sense from an economic perspective,” he said.

Setting up a fully-fledged industrial plant via a special economic zone allows Africa to be strategically positioned up the value chain and positions the continent strategically to produce batteries for the continent and globally.

And thus far, the partnership is proving successful in that regard, said Alfayo, adding that they have recently secured international partnerships with the likes of China.

Panellists agreed that the cost and challenges are evident but the opportunities for Africa are transformational.

Concluded Alfayo: “We have all the ingredients that can power the energy transition…there is an opportunity to reimagine, reinvent and reposition how Africa goes about the energy transition.”

The first government entity in the UAE and among the first utilities globally to adopt this advanced technology, DEWA has reported that it is now available to all its employees.

This forms part of its efforts to utilise innovation and the latest disruptive technologies to enhance efficiency, productivity and quality.

With the ability to modify features to suit each individual employee, Copilot can meet their growing needs as well as the broader new requirements across the utility.

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“In line with the UAE Strategy for Artificial Intelligence 2031, we seek to utilise AI and its tools in various aspects of work,” says HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

“We take pride in our strategic partnership with Microsoft to enhance the digital transformation and elevate our graphics processing unit capabilities as an enabler for our generative AI roadmap. This cooperation boosts computational efficiency and data processing. It ensures innovative development and superior decision-making.”

Microsoft Copilot is a generative AI ‘assistant’ built on OpenAI’s GPT-4 language model – similar to ChatGPT itself.

Benefits of Copilot cited by DEWA include enriching the employee experience, facilitating the performance of tasks, automating workflow and strengthening cooperation between work teams, in addition to saving effort and time.

A key application for Copilot is to support developers and programmers in writing code and developing applications, with features including understanding the context of the code being written, providing suggestions during the programming process and offering tips on code formatting and error correction.

Security Copilot on the other hand enhances the processes of analysing and responding to cybersecurity attacks to raise the efficiency and productivity of the relevant teams.

Alongside E.ON, the European Investment Fund (EIF) also is an anchor investor with both holding a mid-double-digit million euro stake, according to a release.

The capital of the fund is allocated entirely towards investments across three core themes with clear decarbonisation potential – future energy, future cities and future technologies.

With an average initial ticket size of between €1-10 million for early-stage investments in start-ups and scale-ups, it aims to target 30 new investments to develop and implement digital solutions to drive the energy transition in innovation hubs of Europe, North America and the Middle East.

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“This is a milestone for E.ON on our way to making the new world of energy work. Having access to climate tech and the resulting digital solutions is a central cornerstone of our innovation initiatives through which we continuously integrate new technologies and startup solutions into the E.ON business,” says Thomas Birr, Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer at E.ON.

“The newly established fund which is open for external investors builds on our success of the existing venture portfolio and is the next important step for E.ON to broaden impact through collaboration.”

With the fund, E.ON anticipates further expanding its expertise in the field of innovation and through the innovation ecosystem, bring new partners on board.

Future Energy Ventures has been active in the energy tech ecosystem for E.ON and innogy since its formation in 2016 as an in-house investment advisor and subsequently transitioning to an independent venture capital company, and regards this new fund as “the next step on our journey”.

“The clean energy economy is the greatest business opportunity of our generation, and we are excited to be raising our second fund at this pivotal moment,” says Jan Lozek, founder and Managing Partner.

“With FEV’s track record of portfolio successes, an extensive network of industry partners, our highly collaborative approach and deep sector focus, we are in a unique position to drive the digitisation and decarbonisation of the energy system.”

Some of the companies that have received support over the years include eSmart Systems, gridX, Bidgely, Enervee and Piclo.

The fund is expected to hold its final closing in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The update finds that world demand for electricity grew by 2.2% in 2023, less than the 2.4% growth of 2022, attributing this to declines in advanced countries due to the lacklustre macroeconomic environment and high inflation.

However, the demand is expected to rise, growing by an average of 3.4% annually through 2026 through an improving economic outlook and particularly in advanced economies the ongoing electrification of the residential and transport sectors.

Significant extra demand also is expected from outside these economies, in particular in China, India and countries in Southeast Asia.

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Notable expansion of the data centre sector also is likely, with consumption from data centres, AI and the cryptocurrency sector potentially doubling by 2026.

In 2023 the share of electricity in final energy consumption is estimated to have reached 20%, up from 18% in 2015.

To meet the IEA’s net zero by 2050 pathway, the share must near 30% in 2030 and thus electrification needs to accelerate rapidly, the Electricity 2024 publication states.

Renewables and nuclear

The report projects that low-emission generation sources, including nuclear and renewables such as solar, wind and hydro, are set to rise at twice the annual growth rate over the past five years.

By 2026 these sources are set to account for almost half the world’s generation, up from 39% in 2023.

In particular, the share of renewables is forecast to rise from 30% in 2023 to 37% in 2026 and more than offset demand growth in advanced economies such as the US and European Union and potentially also in China.

Nuclear power generation also is expected to reach an all-time high, with growth averaging close to 3% per year.

With this global coal-fired generation is expected to fall by an average of 1.7% annually through 2026.

Global CO2 emissions also are expected to decline, averaging 4% between 2023 and 2026, which is more than double the 2% in the period from 2015 to 2019.

“The power sector currently produces more CO2 emissions than any other in the world economy, so it’s encouraging that the rapid growth of renewables and a steady expansion of nuclear power are together on course to match all the increase in global electricity demand over the next three years,” commented IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol.

“This is largely thanks to the huge momentum behind renewables, with ever cheaper solar leading the way, and support from the important comeback of nuclear power, whose generation is set to reach a historic high by 2025. While more progress is needed, and fast, these are very promising trends.”

Electricity demand highlights

Some other top points from the report are as follows:

● Africa remains an outlier in electricity demand trends, with per capita demand having been effectively stagnant for more than three decades. A more than doubling in investments is required to deliver the region’s energy development and climate targets.

● Electricity prices were generally lower in 2023 than the record highs in 2022, in tandem with declines in prices for commodities such as natural gas and coal, but price trends varied widely among regions, affecting their economic competitiveness.

● Growing weather impacts on power systems highlight the importance of investing in electricity security. For example, global hydropower generation declined in 2023 due to impacts such as droughts, below average rainfall and early snowmelts in numerous regions. Diversifying energy sources, building regional power interconnections and implementing strategies for resilient generation in the face of changing weather patterns will be increasingly important.

● Rising self-consumption in distributed systems and data collection is giving rise to demand forecasting and planning and data sharing challenges. Complete data sets on distributed generation and consumption can give valuable insights into the potential for local flexibility solutions and improved data exchange between DSOs and TSOs can contribute to a more comprehensive accounting of self-consumption.

● Global smart meter investments doubled in 2022 compared to 2015, with the number of smart meters exceeding 1 billion worldwide. However, smart meter penetration varies significantly among countries and regions, from around 80% of US households to 10% in Latin America. Smart meters not only enable better and more detailed data collection but can also enable considerable cost savings.

In 2023 DEWA achieved 1.06 minutes per customer in 2023 – marginally shorter than the 1.19 minutes per customer in 2022. DEWA attributes this primarily to the ongoing smart grid implementation, with an investment of AED7 billion (US$1.9 billion) up to 2035.

Among the initiatives launched by DEWA in the smart grid programme is a FLISR (fault location, isolation and self restoration) system – the first of its kind in the MENA region to enhance the control, management and monitoring of the power network.

“DEWA has achieved the lowest electricity customer minutes lost in the world,” asserts HE Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO.

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“This is the accumulation of DEWA’s efforts in innovation and managing facilities and services through a smart and integrated smart grid.”

Smart ball technology

On the water front DEWA has reported saving 243 million gallons (1.1 billion litres) of water and AED9.66 million in 2023 with its ‘smart ball’ technology.

The smart ball is a small diameter sphere with an acoustic sensor that is inserted into the water network and travels freely at a rate of around 3km/hour driven by the water flow. Once extracted the data is analysed to pinpoint the exact locations of leaks or other anomalies.

Since its introduction in April 2021, DEWA reports having detected 81 leaks in Dubai’s water transmission network with the smart ball, with its ability to detect leaks that are missed with traditional techniques, such as small cracks in the pipelines.

Alongside the smart ball, which can typically inspect about 35km of pipeline in a day, DEWA has been implementing other smartening of its over 3,000km extent water infrastructure, including a SCADA system and smart devices.

“This is part of our efforts to achieve digital transformation using state-of-the-art operational technology, which includes real-time hydraulic modelling, a training simulation system and advanced reporting tools,” comments Al Tayer.

DEWA’s water network losses in 2022 were recorded at 4.5%, well below the averages elsewhere such as the 15% quoted for North America.

Mulilo, a South African independent power producer majority owned by Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) and EDF will partner on the three projects.

A total of five projects were awarded under South Africa’s first Battery Energy Storage Procurement Programme by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.

The three South African projects include:

• Oasis Aggeneis, located in the Northern Cape
• Oasis Mookodi, located in the North West
• Oasis Nieuwehoop, located in the Northern Cape

The consortium holds global experience with battery energy storage systems and local market expertise, ensuring that the three facilities will deliver cost-effective and efficient storage capacity to South Africa’s electricity grid.

The total cost of the projects is estimated to be more than R7 billion ($375 million), and construction is expected to commence in mid-2024.

When completed, the three projects will dispatch electricity under 15-year power purchase agreements to South Africa.

Robert Helms, partner at CIP, commented in a release: “Securing preferred bidder status for the majority of the procured capacity in South Africa’s first public battery storage tender together with EDF marks a significant step in the accelerated growth journey of Mulilo.”

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Alleviating an energy crisis

2023 saw South Africa experience new records of rolling blackouts as the country continues to grapples with an energy crisis.

In a study from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), it is suggested that plans to deploy energy storage systems, including batteries and pumped hydro, could however significantly help to balance electricity supply and demand in the country.

The report from the IISD also found that energy storage is already providing relief from loadshedding and grid batteries are identified as an immediate strategic priority.

Added Helms: “We commend the South African government’s strong commitment to the rapid buildout of battery energy storage, a key focus technology for Mulilo. With the announcement, we are proud for Mulilo to continue its positive contribution to the country’s energy security, socio-economic growth, and green transition.”

“This achievement is an important and significant milestone for Mulilo. I am very proud of the entire team that is currently outperforming our business plans and look forward, together with our partners, to the successful execution of these projects,” said Jan Oberholzer, chairman of the board in Mulilo.

“We remain committed playing our important part ensuring sustainable electricity supply needed for economic growth and the betterment in the lives of the 61 million people in our beautiful country.”

The Memorandum of Intent between DEWA and ESA is intended to pursue joint space-based activities to advance innovation and sustainability in the energy and water utilities sector.

Specifically the objective of the cooperation is to foster the development of innovative applications to support safety, affordability, operational effectiveness, agility in resource deployment and environmental sustainability in these sectors.

As a concrete step, a joint call for proposals is being prepared for the deployment and demonstration of sustainable downstream space services to address DEWA’s priorities in water management.

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Among these are improving the efficiency of water infrastructure usage, water treatment efficiencies, preventative infrastructure maintenance, water policy creation and security of the water grid and other infrastructure.

“Since its launch in January 2021, DEWA’s Space-D programme has improved the operations, maintenance and planning of our electricity and water networks with the support of nanosatellite technology, Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and the help of satellite communications and earth observation technologies,” says Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, MD and CEO of DEWA.

“We are pleased to cooperate with the ESA to develop this programme further and provide a role model for other utilities worldwide to take advantage of space technology in the power and water sectors.”

Under DEWA’s Space-D programme, two nanosatellites have been launched, DEWA SAT-1 in January 2022 and the larger DEWA SAT-2 in April 2023.

With these DEWA has become the first utility to utilise nanosatellites to support the maintenance and planning of electricity and water networks.

Another opportunity will be offered in the ‘Commercial Applications of Space-Enabled Robotics for Energy’ thematic call, which will include DEWA input on specific use cases as well as partnering on the selected activities.

The Memorandum of Intent is the second following a November 2023 similar signing with E.ON Innovation.

As a first step of the cooperation, E.ON Innovation is collaborating with ESA on its ‘Space for Infrastructure: Energy’ initiative, providing use cases of E.ON´s energy business such as the automatic detection of damage to  power lines by extreme weather or by critical third-parties such as unannounced construction sites.

The ‘Space for Infrastructure: Energy’ call, which closes on January 26, is aimed to provide funding towards feasibility studies and demonstrations on the use of space technologies to support energy infrastructures, including power plants, transmission lines, pipelines and energy storage facilities.

ESA energy task force

DEWA is also joining the ESA’s ‘Task Force for Innovation in Energy Through Space’, which was launched in October 2022 to leverage the use of space applications to address the clean green energy ecosystem and support the growth of a sustainable green economy.

Current members include the European organisations ENTSO-E and E.DSO, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Decom North Sea, Global Alliance for Sustainable Energy, the Scotland-based Aberdeen Renewable Energy Group and Net Zero Technology Centre and the India Energy Storage Alliance.

ESA has identified a range of opportunities within the energy sector where space could facilitate innovation.

These include utility and small scale renewable generation, green hydrogen and other alternative energy carriers, ensuring security of supply, e-mobility planning, circularity and decommissioning, asset operation and maintenance and decarbonisation.

The task force is focussed on developing and maintaining an up to date overview of policies and activities in these areas, identifying short and long term priorities within them with the potential space added value and implementing initiatives to be undertaken with the members.

Rita Rinaldo, Head of Projects and Studies Implementation at the ESA, says the partnership with DEWA provides a unique opportunity to work on the development of innovative space-based applications and services for the utility sector.

“The collaboration is also an indicator of the potential space assets have to offer in the advancement of the utilities sector for a sustainable digital future. Together, we will support the emergence of innovative space solutions creating major impact in relation to water and energy sustainability and security.”

Touted as South Africa’s first wind-solar-storage integrated virtual power plant (VPP), EDF Renewables and private investment company Perpetua Holdings (Pty) Ltd won the Umoyilanga project bid in the South African Government’s Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme in March 2021.

The Umoyilanga project consists of two separate plants. One is a solar-plus-storage plant located in Avondale in the Western Cape province, and another is a wind-plus-storage plant located in Dassieridge in the Eastern Cape 900 kilometres away.

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The project will use 264MWh PowerTitan liquid-cooled energy storage systems, enhancing grid stability.

Also, the virtual power plant technology will be configured to achieve long-distance cross-regional energy coordinated dispatch, improve regional power supply stability, and meet the power grid’s needs.

After the Umoyilanga project is connected to the grid, it will generate approximately 400 million kilowatt-hours of clean electricity every year, which can meet the annual electricity consumption of 120,000 households.

“After the completion of this South Africa project, it will surely become a regional demonstration project, leading the development of the industry,” said Phyllis Yang, Head of Sungrow Southern Africa.

“This project is EDF Renewables’ first integrated wind, solar, and storage project to be launched in Africa, which is a milestone for us. We are very pleased to cooperate with Sungrow again to bring industry-leading innovative liquid-cooled storage to this groundbreaking virtual power plant project,” said Tristan de Drouas, CEO of EDF Renewables in South Africa.

Originally published on Power Engineering International.

Kraken Technologies is teaming up with Abu Dhabi National Energy Company PSJC (TAQA) to launch a pilot project and trial the platform after an assessment of Kraken’s ability to enable a smarter, cleaner energy system, said the new partners in a joint release.

The companies are also exploring a joint venture (JV) to extend the partnership and Kraken’s footprint to the Middle East, Europe and worldwide.

As part of the proposed JV, the companies will look to establish a local innovation and development hub in Abu Dhabi, which will serve as a centre of excellence and innovation in the region. It will also build capabilities in the UAE upon implementation of the programme locally.

The Kraken platform connects various aspects of the energy system, from customer billing to flexible management of renewable generation and energy devices, aiming to empower energy companies to build and deploy green energy products and handle customer requests more swiftly and holistically.

Jasim Husain Thabet, TAQA’s Group chief executive officer and managing director, said: “We are pleased to partner with Octopus Energy on this pilot of its Kraken technology across our UAE operations.

“Through this pilot, we see a lot of opportunities to drive further digitalisation and operational excellence in our UAE operations and to collaborate with Octopus on a possible pathway for future expansion.”

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TAQA recently announced its new growth targets for 2030.

Amongst its refreshed targets, the company articulated plans to expand its Transmission and Distribution business internationally.

The JV under discussion will also explore potential for joint investments in projects that could benefit from deployment of the Kraken technology.

“Importantly, when successful, it will lead to establishing a regional innovation hub for this technology right here in Abu Dhabi, helping to build capabilities within the country and continue to drive excellence in the utilities industry,” added Thabet.

“This advanced platform is an example of how we are investing in technologies that support the energy transition and enhance our operations.”

Kraken has already been used by Octopus Energy to manage millions of customers across the UK, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and a large portion of mainland Europe and is licensed to energy, water and broadband utilities across the globe.

It manages over 6GW of energy assets and is contracted to serve 52 million customer accounts globally, taking it closer to its 2027 target of 100 million accounts.

The climate-friendly MV technology could not have been installed in a more inspiring and forward-thinking utility; one that is driving a sustainable ecosystem through all business verticals, not only electrical distribution. Not to mention, the team within the electrical distribution segment of the utility are some of the most passionate people; this is something truly inspiring and necessary to drive the power sector transformation in South Africa, and globally.

SF₆-free: Investing in optimal service delivery

For a sustainable future, the elimination of SF₆ gas, the most powerful greenhouse gas, from electric distribution networks has become critical; and in parts of the world such as Europe, China, and California (USA) a governmental order. The latest data indicates a global warming potential of 25,200, i.e., that 1kg of SF₆ has the same global warming impact over a century as 25,200kg of CO₂. To put this into perspective, this equates to five years (100,000km) of driving your car.

While in South Africa regulation is not yet in place, Leon Laing, Manager: Planning and Customer Services at Drakenstein Municipality is -anticipating regulators to move on this topic in the coming years. Laing is responsible for the municipality’s electric planning and design where forward-thinking for assets of this cost and nature is critical.

When Schneider Electric approached Drakenstein to pilot this new switchgear in South Africa, together with the newly integrated SCADA system and a new substation that was recently rebuilt, Laing couldn’t think of a greater opportunity as they are always seeking better ways of operating to improve service delivery to their customers.

Installation and operation  

The procurement and installation process was the same as any other switch installation. With a 3-position switch, RM AirSeT is a ring main unit (RMU) that offers the benefit of familiar operations, an important characteristic for efficiency and enhanced safety.  

A well-recognised value feature of gas-insulated switchgear (GIS) lies in its ability to withstand environmental conditions. Indeed, RMA AirSeT features a sealed-for-life tank to continuously offer typical GIS benefits, except its gas is pure air. With all assets, routine maintenance is required in the cable compartment. To ensure the full life-cycle value of this asset – 40 years – not only are optimum environmental conditions required, but annual maintenance must also be carried out. Additionally, the unit has sensors installed which can detect thermal temperatures and will alert the operator of any faults or if any premature maintenance needs to be carried out.

“The new automated switch offers an electronic version which is integrated with our newly installed SCADA system enabling the technician to see the real-time status of the connected substation – we currently have three of eight substations online – which supports the deployment immensely, ultimately increasing client service,” Laing explains.

“While we are only seven months into the switchgear being installed, we continue to monitor regularly and will be able to see the full potential after a full year in operation. Currently, we have no faults to report.”

Investing in the long-term

Elaborating on the technical performance of this new switchgear Laing explains on the asset register the utility planned for 50 years. The RM AirSeT is set for 10,000 switching cycles, and the new design has increased the life cycle from 30 years to 40 years if maintained in the correct conditions. Therefore, it fits perfectly within the municipal environment. “We aim for a 50-year lifespan off equipment.”

Drakenstein Municipality is making decisions that are building the foundations for a Smart City. Expecting increased renewables coming onto the system, the RM AirSeT is a natural fit. Not only is this switchgear IoT connected by default to form a foundational element of a smart grid architecture, but it also offers greater visibility and control of their management and operation.

Read more:
First African SF6-free switchgear installed in South Africa

Elaborating on green digital technology that is future-ready, Vladimir Milovanovic, Vice President Power Systems, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric, stresses that because the focus is on circular economies of sustainability, the life span of the RM AirSeT has been extended from 30 to 40 years, which means the design needs to be ahead of its time to be competent throughout its lifecycle.

“The future-ready now aspect of the products that we talk about, the RM AirSeT and the whole asset range, have features that have been over-engineered for the current situation with the view that they have an exceptionally long lifespan. They are designed with certain things in mind, such as native digital connectivity, being able to transmit real-time data to various software platforms, both on-premise SCADA and cloud-based, depending on the choice that the end user makes.”

In terms of scalability and the adaptability of this technology to substations of different sizes and configurations, Jerome Micheli explains that Schneider Electric has a full asset range including the SM AirSeT for commercial buildings, the RM AirSeT for electricity companies, and will soon have the GM AirSeT for more energy-intensive industrial businesses.

“Our strategy is adapting our offer based on the needs of the customer. Therefore, we are scalable based on customer need, the specificity of their technology, and the capacity of current & voltage level.”

“We aim for a 50-year lifespan off equipment.” – Leon Laing

Strong communication infrastructure

For utilities looking at rolling out a similar infrastructure system, a key recommendation from this pilot is ensuring that Phase 1 includes the implementation of a solid and smart communication strategy between substations.

Laing noted: “We’ve already started installing fibre communication networks. The fibre communication networks communicate via the two-way cameras in the substation, you can see what is going on in your workshops, and you can see what’s going on where you have installed firmware that you can communicate with. 

“If you want a smart network, the system must be able to integrate with your current equipment and/or new equipment, while being able to be upgraded with any software package.

Credible collaboration

Commenting on the importance of strong strategic partnerships, Laing said that having the right partners is key to executing a successful project, especially where the knowledge share of technology and manufacturing on a local level can be developed as it enables the reduction of development time learning from previous experiences and implementing the lessons learned.

Echoing this, Milovanovic says that good collaboration with local partners is fundamental for the success of any project, the ability to have two-way knowledge share and transfer.

“Despite us being a technology provider, and being on the cutting edge of technology, we must rely on a partner with good knowledge of local conditions. And most importantly, a proven track record of manufacturing enclosures and ancillary devices.” This is to ensure that a functional product is delivered to the end user. 

“Despite us being a technology provider, and being on the cutting edge of technology, we must rely on a partner with good knowledge of local conditions.” – Vladimir Milovanovic

The future of sustainable switchgear

When looking at the role of sustainable switchgear in the energy industry’s transition towards a cleaner and more sustainable SF₆-free future, Milovanovic provides two perspectives: The first is looking at what the forward-thinking Drakenstein municipality is doing as a responsible social citizen and an early adopter of technologies, which is going to benefit both current and future generations.

Secondly, it is looking at governance. In South Africa, there is currently no requirement for SF₆-free products, but the governance is known to mirror that of European and IEC standards. “Now that it’s adopted, it’s only a matter of time that we are going to be following with the same regulation.”

Currently, there is a clear regulatory directive in the EU prohibiting the use of SF6 gas as of January 2026. This means, installing products with such a long lifespan gives you a long-time opportunity to position a product, which is going to be fitting the regulatory framework, not just of today but of what is to come.”

“This makes sense not only from the technological but from the investment point of view as well.”

There also must be a full range of scalable products, which is why Schneider Electric will be offering a full suite of SF₆-free switchgear complete from the secondary to the primary range, that our customers are going to be able to implement by the latest 2025.

“This is going to play a pivotal role in the energy transition as we move towards achieving a sustainable and ultimately carbon-neutral environment, which we all have a roadmap for, either driven by regulation or our ESG roadmap; we are all going to be working towards it one way or the other.”

Read the full SF6-free series:
Why the energy transition cannot compromise on SF₆
Air – the outstanding sustainable alternative to SF₆

Listen to this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, we hear from Leon Laing, Manager: Planning and Customer Services at the Drakenstein Municipality in the Western Cape, South Africa, on how the SF6-free transition is revolutionising how they manage and operate their power distribution system.

The Bank’s loan will finance the working capital of UMC, including for importing copper cathodes, which are key to the production of cables.

UMC is a subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, an Egyptian industrial group that has a strong presence in Africa, Europe and Asia, and is listed on the Egyptian stock exchange in Cairo.

Elsewedy Electric is one of the largest cable and electrical product manufacturers in the Middle East and Africa, with 30 production facilities in 14 different countries.

Copper rod manufacturing is considered an important industry for the Egyptian and regional market, with export markets including Algeria, Ethiopia and Lebanon.

UMC will also benefit from a technical assistance package piloted by the Elsewedy Technical Academy, which will conduct a skills-mapping exercise and help to develop new learning programmes, including technical training courses for women and blue-collar workers.

Have you read:
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EBRD presence in Egypt

The investment for UMC comes amid foreign exchange scarcity in Egypt and rising global commodity prices, including for copper.

Since 2012 the EBRD has invested more than €11 billion ($11.7 billion) across 169 projects in Egypt, with almost 80% of its portfolio in private-sector projects.

Prior to the investment into UMC, the bank announced a sovereign loan of up to €165 million ($17.5 million) to the country, to be on-lent to the state-owned Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC), to finance the upgrade and reinforcement of the electricity transmission grid.

Specifically, the loan will be used to finance the upgrade of a 500kV substation in Cairo and the construction of a 200km high-voltage overhead transmission line that will relay 2.1GW of renewable energy from the Gulf of Suez region, where several wind projects are currently under development or construction.

The project will be the first grid investment under a $2 billion investment programme to be implemented by EETC under Egypt’s Nexus Water, Food & Energy (NWFE) initiative.

Expansion and upgrade of the ageing transmission and distribution network is crucial in allowing Egypt to achieve its strategy of having 42% of the electricity generated on peak load come from renewables by 2030.

While South Africa is not yet regulating the shift to SF6-free switchgear, Laing is pre-empting this inevitable step and ensuring his municipal district is not only ahead of the curve, but setting the standard for sustainability.

Laing is responsible for the municipality’s electric planning and design where forward-thinking for assets of this cost and nature is critical. This forward-thinking has led to the Drakenstein Municipality being the first in Africa to install and operate Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and digital connectivity.

Read more:
First African SF6-free switchgear installed in South Africa
Why the energy transition cannot compromise on SF₆
Air – the outstanding sustainable alternative to SF₆

This episode is brought to you by Schneider Electric, a French multinational company specialising in digital automation and energy management. It addresses homes, buildings, data centers, infrastructure, and industries, by combining energy technologies, real-time automation, software, and services.

Previous Energy Transitions Podcast episodes:
Time to humanise energy
Sustainable strategies to decarbonise heating
The green promise of next-gen fuel cells

Also on the radar are an acquisition in the Netherlands of storage developer Equans by E.ON-owned energy company Essent and confirmation from ACWA Power that over $14 billion in projects reached financial close in the last 12 months.

AI for market forecasts and virtual power plants

Finnish energy tech startup Capalo AI has raised €500,000 ($531,445.50) in pre-seed funding.

Using advanced AI, the Capalo platform attempts to optimise the use of flexible energy assets, such as energy storage systems and EV charging stations, allowing the commissioning of weather-dependent renewable energy sources to grow by coordinating with the flexibility of the energy grid to adjust to production and demand fluctuations.

Capalo AI will use the funding to further develop its virtual power plant (VPP) and multi-market optimisation AI, as well as scale up its team with mathematicians and cloud service professionals.

According to the startup, with the popularity and commissioning of renewable energy rising globally, the role of energy storage and flexible demand will be crucial, necessitating the balance of consumption and production of electricity to ensure grid stability.

For example, in windy weather, the prices of renewable energy are low, and therefore, its financial benefit remains low, i.e., wind power becomes a less lucrative investment option.

This has led to the construction of batteries next to the turbines, which enables the energy to be discharged into the grid more evenly.

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“There are around 1,400 wind power plants just in Finland, and substantially more on the horizon. To enable the commissioning of new renewable capacity, we need all the available flexibility on the grid,” stated the company’s CEO and co-founder, Henri Taskinen, in a press release.

“Furthermore, there is a lot of untapped potential flexibility in many sectors, for example, on the EV charging side. Our platform taps into these new revenue streams for unutilized assets and simultaneously accelerates the green transition.

“Our solution simultaneously maximizes the value for our customers and accelerates the green transition. In addition, with multi-market optimisation, national grids are able to sustain a steady electricity frequency,” Taskinen added.

“This means less of a need for reserve power plants that mostly use fossil fuels to produce electricity, which then leads to less carbon dioxide emissions.”

The funding round was led by Finnish investment company Innovestor Tech Fund, with Inventure also participating.

A Dutch storage acquisition

Dutch aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES) solutions provider Equans Energy Solutions has been acquired by energy company and E.ON subsidiary, Essent, also based in the Netherlands.

Equans Energy Solution is part of Equans Nederland, the storage provider that develops solutions for households and businesses in the Netherlands.

Resi Becker, Essent’s chief executive officer, commented on the acquisition in a press release, stating its alignment with Essent’s aims to double down on their position in the energy sector: “We are pleased to welcome the new colleagues to our ‘Energy Infrastructure Solutions’ business unit. We are convinced that by combining Essent and Equans Energy Solutions we can further accelerate the energy transition with our people and our customers.”

Added Bas Evers, managing director of Equans Energy Solutions: “We are looking forward to working together with Essent and E.ON building on each other’s strengths, to collectively grow our portfolio to offer more clients affordable and reliable sustainable heating and cooling.”

Closing, which is subject to the applicable employee consultation process in accordance with Dutch law, is expected by the end of 2023.

A subsidiary of E.ON since 2020, Essent has over 90 years of experience generating, trading, transmitting and supplying electricity. Essent has 2.3 million electricity customers and approximately 2 million gas customers.

Also from Smart Energy Finances:
Series B funding for AI-powered grid analytics
Growth financing for AI-based network resilience

ACWA closes $14bn in projects in just 12 months

Renewable energy and water project developer ACWA Power has announced the closure of projects worth over $14 billion over the last 12 months.

The projects span Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Uzbekistan, including renewables, water desalination and green hydrogen, alongside the $8.5 billion NEOM Green Hydrogen project, the world’s largest utility-scale green hydrogen production facility under construction in Saudi Arabia.

Remarking on the figures during the Saudi Arabia Investment Forum in New York was Abdulhameed Al Muhaidib, the company’s CFO, who commented: “The past 12 months marks a historic milestone for us, as it represents the highest number of projects we have ever successfully achieved financial closure for within 12 months.

“It not only validates our expertise as a developer and operator of strategically vital projects but also speaks highly about the trust our investors and partners place in us.”

In addition to the NEOM Green Hydrogen project, ACWA Power also achieved financial close of the Ar Rass solar PV and the Al Shuaibah 1 and Al Shuaibah 2 solar PV projects, which form a critical part of Saudi Arabia’s National Renewable Energy Program (NREP); three wind projects in Uzbekistan – Bash, Dzhankeldy and Nukus; the Kom Ombo solar project in Egypt; the Shuaibah 3 IWP, and most recently the Rabigh 4 IWP in Yanbu.

Financing for the projects was sourced from several local and international financial institutions and infrastructure development funds.

Over the coming months, ACWA Power has stated it will continue to pursue new opportunities and partnerships that align with its mission to scale up its project footprint both within Saudi Arabia and globally.

At present, ACWA Power has 75 assets in various stages of development and in operation, in geographies including the Middle East, Africa, Central Asia and Southeast Asia.

To close, I had the pleasure of attending the Bentley Year in Infrastructure and Going Digital Awards this week in Singapore, where the value of and business case behind artificial intelligence across infrastructure, especially energy, was clearly being recognised.

The award winners include infrastructure projects that have overcome challenges and achieved set objectives by leveraging the latest digital advancements. It was a privilege to attend this event and celebrate the winners’ achievements.

And make sure to follow Smart Energy Finances Weekly for the latest in finance and investment news coming from the energy sector.

Cheers,
Yusuf Latief
Content Producer
Smart Energy International

Follow me on Linkedin

The smallest country in Africa, the Seychelles is an archipelago of 115 islands.

The transmission project aims to enhance the electricity network in the southern region of South Mahe Island.

The Saudi Fund for Development, a Saudi Arabian government agency, supported the project with $20 million.

The fund’s chief executive officer, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad, officially inaugurated the project, which will also promote economic activities in key sectors.

The project’s significance, according to the Saudi fund in a release, lies in its potential to provide affordable electricity to households and businesses in South Mahe, stimulating economic growth and job creation.

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Said Seychelles’ minister of agriculture, climate change and environment, Flavien P Joubert: “We are grateful to the SFD for their generous support in funding this project.

“Their contribution has been instrumental in modernising our electricity infrastructure and improving the reliability and efficiency of our electricity transmission and distribution network.

“We look forward to continuing our partnership with international development funds as we work towards our goal of providing Seychelles with a more sustainable and prosperous future.”

This initiative aligns with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 7, which seeks to achieve universal access to affordable, sustainable, and modern energy sources.

Added CEO of the Saudi Fund for Development, H.E. Sultan Al-Marshad: “This project aligns with SFD’s commitment to supporting sustainable development in developing countries worldwide.

“Electricity is an essential utility for the development of any nation, and we are proud to have contributed towards improving the lives of the people of South Mahe.

“Families, businesses, and individuals now have access to reliable and affordable electricity which will play a major role in ensuring a bright future for South Mahe.”

The new company will prepare feasibility studies for the commercial viability of such interconnection between Greece and Saudi Arabia.

Greek transmission system operator (TSO) ADMIE and Saudi Arabia’s TSO National Grid S.A – Saudi Electricity Company, will each hold a 50% stake in the special purpose company.

The agreement was signed earlier this week on the sidelines of a ministerial meeting between President and CEO of ADMIE, Manos Manousakis, and the CEO of National Grid, Eng. Abdullah Waleed Al-Saadi.

The officials also identified hydrogen, renewable energy sources (RES) and electric infrastructure as priority areas for Greek-Saudi cooperation.

ADMIE also has plans for an undersea transmission interconnection with Egypt.

Have you read:
UK-German NeuConnect interconnector proceeds with construction
Overcoming grid interconnect obstacles to deploy renewable energy

Formation of the company is being hailed by both as of strategic importance for bilateral cooperation and regional stability, within the context of the broader rearrangements created by the new India-Middle East-Europe (IMEC) economic and trade corridor.

According to a release from the Greek government, the partnership also aligns with the strategy of the Ministry of Environment and Energy (YPEEN) and ADMIE to participate in the implementation of major energy corridors for the transmission of clean energy to Europe from North Africa and the Middle East.

The collaboration between the countries’ TSOs, now formalised through the Saudi Greek Interconnection, builds on a memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries last year for energy cooperation.

Two energy commissioners from different continents today agreed that there needs to be greater innovation in energy storage.

EC Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson was sharing a stage with Amani Abou-Zeid, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union Commission, during the IRENA Innovation Summit in Bonn, Germany.

Earlier this year, Abou-Zeid welcomed Simson to her home country of Egypt to discuss energy security. Today in Bonn, the two women were asked which single area of the energy transition was still lacking in innovation: both answered storage.

Abou-Zeid – who used to be Director of the Africa Natural Resource Center – said storage “needs to be less disruptive to our minerals, much more efficient, and smaller in size.”

Simson agreed. “We see big issues when we cannot store wind and solar. We need lots of innovation in the storage sector.”

Both also said that the energy sector needs to “get out of our comfort zone”. Simson said Europe needed more home-grown renewables, and this meant “we need to grant more permits – permitting needs innovation”.

“We don’t want to replace one dependency on Russian gas with another dependency on another third party for technology.”

Have you read:
Soaring electricity demand must be ‘good citizen of the grid’ says California energy chief
Stabilizing the energy system with energy storage

Earlier, Abou-Zeid had outlined the challenges and opportunities of Africa’s energy transition.

While she stated that that more than half the continent still has no access to electricity, she added: “Africa adopts new technology faster than any other region in the world”.

This, she said, allows it to “bypass and make a jump” over some energy technologies and methodologies in the ‘developed’ world.

“We have things happening in Africa with green hydrogen and sustainable aviation fuel – we adopt energy technology very quickly.”

However, she was adamant that the value chains that would be built around these and other energy innovations “are developed locally and used locally to green our economies”.

“Our continent has to grow – but it has to grow in ways compatible with the climate and sustainability.”

She said to deliver the value chains that were needed, “the whole energy ecosystem has to change”.

“None of this happens without finance models and we need finance models for more than just energy generation. People focus on energy generation but not on transmission: not on the ‘last mile’.

“Nor on digitalisation: digitalisation is vital.” She said the coronavirus pandemic unlocked huge leaps in digital technologies: “The climate crisis is a catalyst for all of us to get out of our comfort zones.”

And Abou-Zeid said the energy sector globally needed to “look to the future”.

“Most regulations about energy are regulations of the past. We cannot still use the ‘old ways’: they will not help us make the shift to the future.”

Exclusive interview: Why Europe mustn’t be short-sighted on long duration energy storage. Watch now.
Is solar-plus-storage South Africa’s golden ticket out of darkness?

Originally published on Power Engineering International.

The Drakenstein Municipality project is an ongoing collaboration with clean tech developer Schneider Electric and system integrator partner, Altek.

Located 30 minutes outside of Cape Town, the Municipality has installed Schneider Electric’s RM AirSeT switchgear with pure air technology and digital connectivity.

Installed in February 2023 at the Dalwes substation, the new technology is free from SF₆ gas (Sulphur hexafluoride) and its associated greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Shifting away from SF₆

The municipality’s choice to install the switchgear, forms part of their drive for clean growth and electricity distribution.

Vladimir Milovanovic, vice president of power systems for Schneider Electric Anglophone Africa: “Drakenstein Municipality is undoubtedly leading the way in establishing a modern, digitised infrastructure that enables it to remotely monitor equipment like the RM AirSeT switchgear which in turn allows for expanded network visibility, as well as preventative and proactive maintenance and problem solving.”

Added Alderman Conrad Poole, executive mayor of Drakenstein Municipality: “This project comes at a time when South Africa faces immense energy challenges. Being an early adopter of this pioneering technology will enable us to share lessons learnt with our peers.”

Mayor Poole here is referring to rolling blackouts in the country, known as loadshedding, due to the breakdown of TSO Eskom’s generating units.

Have you read:
Why the energy transition cannot compromise on SF₆
Air – the outstanding sustainable alternative to SF₆

Identified by the Kyoto Protocol as one of six GHGs needed to be reduced, SF₆, a regulated fluorinated gas, is typically found in traditional gas-insulated switchgear and is 23,500 times more potent than CO2.

The gas currently has a special exemption for use in electrical distribution across geographies. However, as alternatives become more readily available, countries and territories are considering measures to restrict its use. For example, earlier this year in March, the European Parliament voted to accelerate the phase down of SF₆ and other fluorinated gases (F-gases) on the EU market.

Digital connectivity – SCADA update

Aside from the move to greener distribution, the switchgear is also being touted by the project partners as providing the municipality with heightened digital connectivity.

The municipality, serving a population of 305,281, will gradually replace its current 25-year-old SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) monitoring system with Schneider Electric’s ETAP system, which they describe as a model-driven electrical SCADA software solution.

Three of the municipality’s 36 substations are already online in the system. In the 2023/24 financial year, eight more substations will be brought online.

Explaining the system during the launch event was Altek managing director Alvin Naidoo, who stated the necessity of using SCADA: “We once looked at SCADA as a ‘nice to have’ but now it’s a way of life… [Through SCADA] we improve the efficiency of our network, reduce fault finding times and improve response times.”

According to Naidoo, the importance of the system comes in when looking at the use of data for consumption management:

“Based on simulation data, the system has features for load forecasting. We take simulation data, data that’s available in the repositories on the SQL (structured query language) and essentially amalgamate them and create load forecasting potential.”

Additionally, Schneider Electric states that the switchgear includes condition-based maintenance features, feeding data from its sensors to local field tools/apps and analytics tools, which can be hosted in the cloud or on premise, depending on requirements.

It also provides continuous condition monitoring and controls to check the quality of power connections, identify and isolate faults, as well as self-healing capabilities for reduced downtime.

The new company was announced at the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi and is the result of a multi-year development partnership between Virunga Power (a Gridworks investee company) and the Government of Burundi.

Over a seven-year period, Weza Power will aim to connect 9 million people and will provide electricity to residential and business customers across peri-urban and rural Burundi, which has one of Africa’s lowest electrification rates.

According to Gridworks, only 12% of the country’s 12 million people currently have access to electricity, with that number falling to 2% in rural areas.

Most new household customers burn kerosene and charcoal for energy, while businesses have to rely on expensive and polluting diesel generators.

Financing

Gridworks, which is owned by British International Investment, the UK government’s development finance institution, became a controlling shareholder of Virunga Power in March 2023 following a $50 million investment.

Virunga Power is developing the Weza Power project and will provide the initial equity investment.

Have you read:
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Increased cross-border electricity trade key to universal access in Africa

Other financing partners providing development and construction capital include the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) and the US government’s Power Africa initiative.

The project will be the first new private-sector electricity distribution company operating at a national level in sub-Saharan Africa for a decade.

Partners in the public-private partnership (PPP) for the company will embark on an interim agreement to mobilise an initial, two-year $60 million investment into the utility. This initial phase is expected to result in approximately 300,000 Burundians gaining access to grid electricity.

Infrastructure build out

The project will then aim to raise around $1.4 billion over seven years to build a distribution infrastructure network connecting two-thirds of the East African country.

It will do this without the Government of Burundi needing to raise additional loans from its own balance sheet, meaning it is able to focus on other national priorities.

The new utility company will be connected to Burundi’s existing transmission network operated by REGIDESO, the state-owned utility company that will continue to generate power from clean, run-of-river hydropower, and supply distribution-level power to the country’s main urban areas.

The financing for the grid expansion and the creation of a new utility operator in Burundi will come from a blend of private and public funding, including commercial equity and debt, climate-based and other concessional funding, multilateral donor support and private grants.

Commenting on the announcement was Virunga Power CEO Brian Kelly, who called the project “an important milestone for Burundi and a catalyst for accelerating electrification more broadly in sub-Saharan Africa.

“The expansion of power distribution networks to reach unconnected populations with affordable grid power can be achieved by blending public, multilateral, and private sources of capital when paired with efficient private-sector led operations.

“While this is a common approach in developing and developed markets globally, Africa has lacked a locally-based model to follow, and Burundi’s willingness to take leadership with this approach is impressive and commendable.”

Virunga Power is a developer, investor and operator of renewable power generation and distribution networks in East and Southern Africa with a distributed portfolio of assets spanning five countries, including hydropower plants in development, construction and operations, as well as electricity distribution networks.

In the distribution segment, other than Weza Power, the company is investing in the expansion of a licensed utility it owns and operates in the Northwestern Province of Zambia, seeking to replicate this model with its partners in Malawi.

This was the key message from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Director-General Francesco La Camera to mark an agreement signed with the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD) in support of Africa’s energy goals.

The agreement was signed on Monday, 4 September on the margins of Africa Climate Week in Nairobi.

IRENA said the agreement is geared toward assisting the continent “in their efforts to achieve the African Union’s Agenda 2063 and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all.”

“Acknowledging that 80% of the global population without access to electricity resides in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is evident that the existing energy infrastructure cannot adequately meet the continent’s needs,” said La Camera.

But this would require the creation of a more equitable energy system, he said.

AUDA-NEPAD CEO Nardos Bekele-Thomas underscored the findings of the Continental Power Systems Masterplan (CMP), designed to provide a strategic roadmap for connecting Africa’s five power pools.

The CMP emphasises the critical need for immediate and proactive measures in Africa’s electricity sector.

“The current business as usual trajectory falls significantly short of achieving universal electricity access by 2040, necessitating a substantial increase in investments to elevate the continent’s installed capacity from 266GW to approximately 1,218GW,” said Bekele-Thomas.

“To realise this ambitious target, an estimated $1.29 trillion in cumulative investments will be essential, potentially culminating in the establishment of a robust continental electricity market valued at $136 billion by 2040. It is imperative to take urgent and strategic actions to accomplish these transformative goals.”

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Planning towards an integrated electricity network in Africa

IRENA said the continued investments in cross-border transmission infrastructure and a deepening of electricity trade will allow African countries to accelerate their energy expansion and transition.

This could be achieved by sourcing electricity from a wide range of competitive, clean energy resources and by anchoring on the continent’s five power pools to create Africa’s Single Electricity Market.

Since 2021, IRENA, in partnership with other organisations, has supported AUDA-NEPAD and African stakeholders in developing the CMP through modelling activities and a series of capacity-building activities related to energy planning in the region. 

The CMP aims to establish a long-term, continent-wide planning process for power generation and transmission that involves all five African power pools. It maps out how to best to utilise the vast renewable energy resources across the continent, supporting national power strategies that consider cross-border interconnections as a vital component.

The next phase of CMP will include a special focus on strengthening the planning processes and accelerating the preparation of a bankable pipeline of priority projects at both the regional and country levels. 

“This brings an opportunity for African countries to align their energy planning processes to a pan-Africa vision and accelerate the realisation of Agenda 2063,” said IRENA.

“Through this new partnership, IRENA and AUDA-NEPAD will work to enhance the capabilities of African countries and regional organisations through knowledge-based capacity building services, support implementation of the renewable energy projects in the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA PAP II) and facilitate access for project developers to IRENA’s Climate Investment Platform and Energy Transition Accelerator Financing (ETAF) platform.”

Originally published by Yunus Kemp on ESI Africa.

Most of these households were in the outlying rural areas, which meant the usual method of revenue collection using post payment was going to be a huge challenge. It was decided to instead use the prepayment meter as the technology of choice to deliver this service.

Meters were manufactured and deployed into the field, but very soon after there were several problems discovered. None of these systems could talk to each other, and they all had varying levels of cryptographic security and functionality.

The solution was to have a system that allowed interoperability between these systems, whilst sharing the same level of state-of-the-art security. This is where the STS, or ‘Standard Transfer Specification’ was born.

It was developed based on an Eskom NRS specification, and essentially it defines the secure transfer of credit into a prepayment meter. One of the requirements for this was to encode every token created with a unique ‘Token Identifier’ or TID, which is then stored in the meter to prevent token replay – 1 Token, 1 Meter, Only once!

The STS system was so successful that it has now become the only globally accepted open standard for prepayment systems, with over 70 million STS certified meters in over 100 countries.

With the latest version of the specification, STS Edition 2, the doors are now opened to an exciting world of ‘Smart STS Systems’ with two-way communication and powerful smart meter functionality, all whilst retaining the proven STS standards.

Watch the video on STS Edition 2 here

STS, the only globally accepted open standard for prepayment systems.

Simple, Trusted & Secure.

The conventional standard ISO4064/OIML R49 mainly refers to the metering and mechanical features of the water meter, such as R100 or R160, the length of the meter is 165mm or 190mm. There is currently no unified standard for smart water meters except IEC62055-41,51 which is the standard for STS prepayment functions.

The DLMS in the AMI function is more popular in smart electricity meters, so how to select a smart prepaid water meter has become a challenge for water utilities. This article tries to propose the key aspects of the reliability of smart water meters.

Generally speaking, according to the special working environment of tropical rainforest or dry desert climate in African countries, the requirements for smart water meter will be more strict than in Asia or South America. In summary, the critical aspects of the smart water meters that need to be considered are as follows:

1. Communication Method for Remote Data Reading

In the previous article, “Why Prepaid Water Meters Must Be Smart”, we have explained why prepaid water meters must support remote reading or two-way communication. So how to choose the suitable communication method from GPRS, NBIoT, 3G, 4G, LoRa, LoRaWAN, Sigfox or Bluetooth? First, whether local telecommunication companies provide NBIoT network which specifically designed for smart meters or other IoT devices as a LPWAN network.

Compared to GPRS, NBIoT module has the characteristics of low battery consumption, and the data flow cost of NBIoT is also much lower than GPRS, 3G or 4G network, the common point is that all of these communications require a SIM card, either an e-SIM for PCBA or a physical SIM card, which means the water utility needs to pay for data flow on a monthly basis.

2. Battery Life from 6 Years to 10 Years

Battery lifespan not only depends on the battery capacity indicated by mAh, such as the ER26500 is typically 8500mAh, but also closely related to the power consumption of smart water meters in different situations, such as communication technology. And how firmware is designed to manage power consumption, like sleeping mode. And 3rd, the power consumption is also related to the working environment, IP level of the meters and the components. Sometimes manufacturers declare battery life of more than 8 years or even higher, but without any documentation from the battery provider, theoretical calculations such as Saft or Tadiran may require further evaluation.

3. IP Level for Smart Meters and Independent Components Such as PCB or Battery

The IP level of the smart water meter is preferable IP68, since the smart meter can sometimes be immersed in water. But when the service life of the meter increases to above 3 years or more, only the meter body is IP68 may still be a challenge, because the material of the meter may start to deform due to sunlight and rain, so it is better to require that the battery cabinet, valve, and PCB must IP68, and have a 3rd party certificate.

4. The material of the meter body, such as brass, or different types of plastic.

In Africa, the theft of brass material is inevitable, so a plastic body may be more suitable for water companies. Additionally, the Meter Casing material must be UV-resistant, resistant to high temperature up to 65°C and fire-resistant. Water permeability characteristics are also an optional indicator for choosing materials because of the high humidity in some areas.

5. Leakage Detection Inside or Outside the Door

The leakage detection function of the smart water meter can be realized through night flow monitoring. As the main IoT device in the water pipe network, the smart water meter is also an important part of the DMA, District Management Area, which is another major topic of water leakage management.

6. Bypass Detection and Anti-tamper Functions

Cases of bypassing smart meters usually occur because of the purpose of evading payment. Smart water meters must have the ability to close valves automatically or record events when they occur, and technical solutions may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, and water companies can compare and choose an effective way. Other anti-tamper functions such as anti-magnetic and meter cover opening events etc. can be considered as optional functions.

7. Prepaid or Postpaid Working Mode

Prepaid water meters are only one working mode of smart water meters, and there is one paradox that in most cases, water utilities cannot cut off the water supply to industry users who do not pay for their bills, such as government institutes, hospitals etc.. Therefore, it is necessary to design prepaid functions in the platform, and smart meters support remote valve control.

8. Flexible Water Purchase and Payment Solutions

The concept of digitization is well known today, and it can help water companies adjust their operations processes. With the integration of smart water meters and Mobile payments, organizations no longer need meter reading workers, who can join smart water meter maintenance teams, or build telecommunications networks. Mobile payment platforms now are also popularly used in mechanical water meter billing. And for STS prepaid water meters, they have inherent advantage since they adopt digital encryption technology for 20-bit token transmission.

9. SaaS Software Based on Cloud or Web System Based on Physical Server

Many software companies now recommend cloud-based software solutions, since it is more flexible and expandable when the number of system users continues to increase. But some countries still have limitations on data security, so if leading cloud service providers such as Amazon and Google have not yet established branches in specific countries, a physical server-based web system is also a good choice for water companies. Both of them are not required to be installed on a PC, only user ID and password authorization to log in to the system, check reports or start daily operations like Registration or Vending.

10. Training and Local Maintenance Support

Training may need to take place in different stages, such as a Concept Presentation during ROI, a Request for Interest from the project team or a pilot project stage, and eventually extend to the whole operations team. Local maintenance is a very important factor in ensuring the success of a project, which relates to technical support, training and supply of CKD or components. Many water companies now prefer local assembly with local maintenance as one of the main modules in the workshop.

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Anyhow, there are some other factors that may affect the sustainability of prepaid water meter services, but if water companies can understand the most important of these causes, it will definitely help avoid the failure of smart water meters and digital billing projects, which is a big investment and expect to bring the significant improvements in operations.

If you have any comments, please contact the author: Mr. Raymond Zheng on WhatsApp, +86 131 85002086, laisontech@gmail.com

The fund assists organisations based in emerging economies that are working to improve access to clean transport.

The LEAP Fund, backed by Drive Electric, was founded in 2022 to encourage low-carbon transitions and minimise fossil-fuel vehicle lock-in.

African recipients of the 2023 LEAP Fund grants are: Clean Air Africa, which is focused on accelerating infrastructure and ecosystem development for e-mobility in East Africa; the Electric Mission, whose aim is the creation of a central knowledge sharing hub around zero-emission vehicles, for South African industry; and the Zambian Electric Mobility Innovation Alliance, which is hoping to accelerate zero-emission public transportation in the country.

South Africa’s Electric Mission Executive Director, Hiten Parmar said: “As renowned subject matter expert in electric mobility, we are honoured to be backed by the global Drive Electric Campaign’s LEAP Fund to advance electric mobility in South Africa, and Africa.”

Drive Electric, a global philanthropic campaign driving the transition to a clean transport future, announced this week that the LEAP Fund has been expanded by $1.05m in grants to support initiatives in Africa and Latin America.

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It said: “Drive Electric has expanded the fund from an initial one-year investment of $1 million to a total of more than $3 million in commitments from 2022-2024. Seven organisations have been awarded funding as part of this second round of the LEAP Fund.”

“We see notable leadership in electric vehicle innovation, vision, and motivation in many emerging markets,” said Rebecca Fisher, director of the Drive Electric Campaign. “We believe that philanthropic investment can help build political will, drive public and private finance to the sector, and support green industrial development by shifting the market toward clean transportation on an accelerated timeline to meet global climate goals.”

In a statement, Drive Electric said electric vehicle sales are growing rapidly in China, Europe, and the US, but that projected population growth is in other markets, notably in Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. 

It said: “Now is a critical moment to invest in communities who are ready to jumpstart the EV transition and experience the benefits of clean transportation.”

Originally published on ESI Africa.

The solution, designed to empower the mobile workforce and increase its operational efficiency and delivered on the Coordinator platform, is intended to serve as a deployment tool handling all stages of the meter exchange project.

The smart meter rollout is an initiative of the Israel Electric Corporation.

The first phase of 565,000 smart meters for residential customers has been awarded to Landis+Gyr, with the potential to extend the order up to 4.2 million units.

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In addition, Landis+Gyr will provide the head-end system and services for the maintenance of the existing meter data management system and related applications.

“We have been working for a long time together with Ericsson and we are thrilled to have a part in this extensive project,” comments Jonas Ljungdahl, Business Development Manager at isMobile.

The installation of the smart meters is a key component of Israel’s energy sector reform, which is underway until the end of 2024 and will see Israel Electric focus increasingly on transmission and distribution and reduce its activity in generation and supply – this latter opening to competition.

Further, its system administrator role has been taken over by the newly formed Noga company.

isMobile provides a range of solutions from smart meter rollouts to logistics equipment tracking.

Among other recent initiatives announced is a partnership with Tech Mahindra to enhance its AMI Command and Control Centre offering with smart metering operations and field service management.

This was one of the key messages from Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape province of South Africa, who hosted an Energy Digicon under the theme What role will Artificial Intelligence play in the future of energy generation?

Keynote speaker Martin Svensson, co-director of AI Sweden, said looking ahead, AI will impose greater challenges on the energy sector.

Citing the conversion of the automotive sector to a fully electric-based one, Svensson said the question is how to build the new system by harnessing AI.

Svensson said that in the future, individuals would also be able to produce their own energy, largely from solar power and AI applications would be integrated into this.

“Imagine a future where we are our own energy producers and what we produce we will be able to trade and have a system that optimises that from a financial perspective.” 

Forging a new energy system

Referencing think-tank RethinkX’s research – Rethinking Energy 2020-2030 – which says that we are on “the cusp of the fastest, deepest, most profound disruption of the energy sector in over a century”, Svensson said the current system will be disrupted by a new one.

RethinkX says that with most disruptions, this one is being driven by the convergence of several key technologies whose costs and capabilities have been improving on consistent and predictable trajectories.

These are solar photovoltaic power, wind power and lithium-ion battery energy storage. 

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“Our analysis shows that 100% clean electricity from the combination of solar, wind, and batteries (SWB) is both physically possible and economically affordable across the entire continental United States as well as the overwhelming majority of other populated regions of the world by 2030,” said RethinkX.

“Adoption of SWB is growing exponentially worldwide and disruption is now inevitable because by 2030 they will offer the cheapest electricity option for most regions. Coal, gas, and nuclear power assets will become stranded during the 2020s, and no new investment in these technologies is rational from this point forward.”

Energy systems run completely on renewable energy sources

Svensson said the new energy system will look completely different to the current one. He said, for a province like the Western Cape, the future system could be one without loadshedding. This would be achieved through a system that would be 100% solar, wind and battery based. 

“This is not driven by the current issues you face or by climate activism, but economical forces. That’s why I’m confident this will happen. There is a lot of positive opportunities.”

Svensson said solar and wind are already the cheapest new-generation options. It also costs less than existing coal, gas and nuclear power plants. The cost of SWB systems will fall another 70% by 2030, making disruption “inevitable”.

In terms of the Western Cape, Svensson said the region could have a “future of energy abundance.”

Based on modelling from California in the US, which has a similar solar and wind profile to the Western Cape, Svensson said in the next 10 years, the province could generate 14GW of solar, 1.7GW of wind and 80GWh of energy storage.

“This ‘super power’ will be enough to electrify the entire transportation sector and more,” said Svensson. He said the province had already started on this journey.

“This is within reach… The opportunity is here to accelerate this. This will solve the current situation,” said Svensson.

In terms of scepticism around AI, Svensson said it was important to learn and understand AI to help mitigate any possible risks it may pose. 

“We need to learn how to use it, but we do need to learn how to manage risks over time.”

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AI to play a huge role in the energy space

Special Advisor to the Premier on Energy, Alwie Lester, said AI will start to play a lot more of a critical role in the energy space.

“With the advent of AI, you could have a dynamic system that is managed by information and data that’s readily available and processed quite quickly,” Lester said.

“Typically, you could have a system operator that responds to things very differently based on AI as opposed to the conventional way we are responding to the system at the moment.”

“In the general energy space, I think we will start to see AI play a lot more of a critical role because you’re sitting with millions and millions of terabytes of information, especially the energy information but also economic and consumer information,” Lester added.

“And if you have the ability to sort of link these, your decisions around what energy at what point and at what price becomes rather easier when you have a system that can do this for you. The opportunity for AI to play a bigger role, particularly in the energy space is huge.

“We need to encourage the industry to look at this more holistically and not just try and solve one problem with it.

“But also look at it as part of the industry going forward.” 

Originally published by Yunus Kemp on ESI.

This is according to the IEA’s Facilitating Decarbonisation in Emerging Economies Through Smart Charging report, which looks at how decarbonisation can be facilitated through smart charging.

According to the report, although there are several requirements for smart charging to take place, the power sector has a unique role that can’t be overlooked, namely in establishing the foundations of how EVs can be used as a resource.

The potential of smart charging on the power system lies largely in its potency as a flexible asset, states the report, enabling widespread renewable penetration and consumption management.

EV proliferation

According to the report, while most of the uptake of EVs is found in the US, Europe and China, EVs are also starting to penetrate markets in emerging economies.

Electric two- and three-wheelers are more common in Asia, with sales of electric three-wheelers constituting 46% of total three-wheeler sales in the fiscal year of 2022. Meanwhile, electric buses are gaining ground in Latin America, where most have reached cost parity with diesel buses.

These trends are likely to continue as these economies set more adoption targets for the end of the decade.

However, to accommodate the increasing uptake, the necessary charging infrastructure will be needed to coordinate the increasing electric load coming onto the grid.

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While the energy required by EVs is low compared with typical daily electricity consumption, the IEA states how ensuring enough grid capacity will be the more important parameter given the high-power requirements that the charging process can take.

Charging of two- and three-wheelers may not lead to significant increases in peak load until a high level of penetration, whereas charging of buses will raise peak load and often require dedicated transformers.

The role of smart charging

This, states the IEA, is where smart charging needs to be more widely adopted, as it provides an avenue of integrating the EV into the power system where the charging process can be adjusted to be in line with power system objectives.

Said objectives could be voltage regulation and reduction of local peak in the distribution grid, or frequency regulation and energy arbitrage in the bulk energy system.

Smart charging of EV fleets can provide a good source of power system flexibility, increasing the uptake of renewables while maintaining power system stability.

However, for smart charging to be coordinated optimally and support the system, it needs to be able to adjust in response to system signals.

States the report: “The faster the EVs can react, the more services it can provide. Such high levels of coordination can happen only through digitalisation.

“With the help of telecommunications and connectivity, smart charging service providers can exist to help serve as intermediaries to balance the needs of the EV users, charge point operators and power systems.”

Power system measures missing

According to the report, the main signals which can serve as rewards or sources of value for EV users and smart charging service providers are:

• Differentiated tariffs: Tariffs which vary rates based on time of day to incentivise the behaviour of EV users about when to charge their cars

• Procurement of local flexibility: Distribution grid operators enter into contracts with aggregators or charging service providers to manipulate the charging process to achieve local needs.

• Wholesale energy market access: Whereby vehicles can participate in changing the supply-demand curve to lower peak generation and increase renewables consumption.

• Ancillary services market access: Allowing aggregated EVs to respond to system services such as frequency response.

In advanced economies such as California, South Korea, the Netherlands and the UK, each of these power system measures is widespread or in progress, with the exception of procurement of local flexibility in South Korea.

However, for the studied emerging economies, including Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Indonesia, Maharashtra, Morocco, South Africa, Tamil Nadu, Thailand, Tunisia, Uttar Pradesh and Vietnam, the opposite is true.

Differentiated tariffs were found to be the most common measure, although not absent in Colombia and Morocco.

The only other measure found was that of ancillary services in South Africa and in progress in Chile.

Moving forward

According to the IEA’s findings, depending on the degree of EV integration desired by the economy in question, different technological and regulatory frameworks will need to be deployed for the sector to facilitate a fair and efficient smart charging process.

Specifically, they state, the following recommendations are made to establish a smart charging ecosystem:

• Establish a framework for demand response in the power system, which could be implicit via tariff variation or explicit through direct bidding of demand in wholesale and balancing markets.
  
• Ensure standardisation and interoperability; said standards could be set by tying them to charging infrastructure incentives, as a de facto standard based on public tenders, or legislated directly as a regulation
  
• Establish minimum requirements for smart communication and control, thereby ensure future EV uptake will instill the ability to participate in smart charging
  
• Ensure matching with clean electricity, whereby signals to charge could come either from the electricity market through wholesale prices, or from end-consumer electricity prices that reflect the best time to consume clean electricity
  
• Reform the role of distribution operators from passive owners and providers of network capacity into active managers of an interconnected system that can help activate EVs’ full potential

This passage will showcase LAISON’s experience with Smart water meters and Digital Billing and response to the following major challenges in water companies’ operations:

1. How to improve the cash flow and revenue?

Smart water meters provide real-time data on water consumption, ensuring accurate billing and consistent cash flow. They can detect leaks, minimise Non-Revenue Water (NRW) and increase revenue.

Since the adoption of the Laison prepaid smart water metering solution by the Zambia National Water Supply Corporation (NWSC), both the water fee collection rate and revenue have significantly improved. Laison’s prepaid smart water metering solution enables the water utility to implement remote data collection functionality, allowing utilities to monitor consumption patterns more efficiently, identify customers with overdue bills, and take appropriate actions to recover debts.

2. How does the smart water metering and smart app help with water management?

Smart water meters provide real-time data on water consumption, leak detection, and system performance. This information is transmitted to utilities and accessible via Smart Apps, enabling continuous monitoring of water usage and distribution network status. This data is instrumental in long-term planning, infrastructure development, and policy-making for sustainable water management.

In Nigeria, some water utilities have adopted the LAISON GPRS smart water metering solution, along with the LAISON Aquacyber app. This solution facilitates online water fee payments and empowers users to access smart water meter data. Key features include prepaid billing and Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) capabilities, significantly enhancing the water board’s data collection and enabling remote data reading. Consequently, these features contribute to reducing Non-Revenue Water (NRW) rates.

3. The Walk by and AMI System application experience for remote data reading

The Walk-By and AMI System for Remote Meter Data Reading offers various advantages, including improved operational efficiency, accurate billing, customer engagement, and sustainability, making it a valuable utility management tool.

LAISON has applied its Walk-By and AMI System experience in Zimbabwe. The LAISON AMI system ensures real-time data transmission, allowing utilities to access up-to-date consumption information. This capability enhances decision-making and response times.

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During installation, innovative solutions such as DCU pole installations and solar power supply were used to address challenges. These solutions effectively resolved DCU installation and power supply issues, leading to significant cost savings for the local water utility.

4. How to meet the challenges of technical upgrades on smart metering technology?

Before upgrading smart metering technology, water utilities should evaluate the current system and define clear objectives for addressing both current and future needs. LAISON offers tailored smart metering solutions and product upgrades. In Malawi, LAISON assisted BWB Water Utility in implementing a phased meter upgrade strategy, transitioning from Volumetric to Parise Series Smart Water Meters. This approach provided cost-effective solutions and extended battery life. Additionally, LAISON offers a comprehensive system solution, including hardware, software, and training.

For more details please contact laisontech@gmail.com

The two companies, already long-term partners, plan to bring further intelligence and other innovations to Kamstrup’s Multical range of ultrasonic cooling meters for district cooling systems.

Previously a key challenge identified by Emicool’s customers was managing cooling energy in vacant spaces and buildings, leading to the introduction of a thermal disconnect function and enabling more efficient and effective cooling energy management.

“This collaboration represents a significant milestone in Emicool’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions that enhance energy efficiency and sustainability in the cooling sector,” said Dr Adib Moubadder, Chief Executive Officer.

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“This partnership is set to redefine the landscape of cooling meter technology. By combining our strengths, we aim to accelerate innovation and pave the way for more intelligent, precise, and environmentally friendly cooling measurement systems.”

Emicool is a Dubai-based provider of district cooling services in the UAE with almost one-third of the market.

Its growing district cooling network currently includes 20 district cooling plants delivering a total of 355,000t of refrigeration and serving approximately 42,000 customers.

The company aims to grow its capacity to over 500,000t of refrigeration over the next five years.

Some of the high-profile development projects on which Kamstrup and Emicool have partnered have included the Dubai Investment Park, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Sports City, Dubai Motor City, Dubai Cultural Village and Dubai Mirdif Uptown.

The Middle East and North Africa with their hot climatic conditions dominate the district cooling energy market and are expected to continue to do so into the future with the growing commercial and residential sectors.

Like electricity smart meters, smart cooling meters offer remote reading of consumption data and data on the distribution network, as well as the opportunity for sub-metering.

The new partnership between Kamstrup and Emicool is to extend over five years.

The project aims to connect 620,000 people to electricity.

The project constitutes an essential link in the regional electricity distribution system known as the ‘trans-Sahel spine’, which is currently being studied. 

It will link Mauritania to Chad, passing through three other landlocked countries; Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali.

The 225 kV line will connect new renewable energy parks to the sub-region’s power grid.

The partners made the commitment at a roundtable in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on 17 July. The discussions explored funding options for the project, which also entails developing solar power stations.

The African Development Bank Group, which has worked closely with both countries to prepare the project, affirmed its interest in co-funding.

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The project aligns with the Bank Group’s Desert-to-Power initiative, which is set to become the world’s largest area of solar power generation. 

The initiative will increase solar production capacity by 100MW. It will also strengthen and extend distribution networks covering nearly 1,500km of high-voltage (225kV) lines.

Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh, said: “The strategic nature of this project will have a strong transformative effect on the economy while creating a connection to the Senegal River Basin Development Organisation’s grid.”

Power transmission line to drive region’s energy transition

AfDB Group’s Deputy Director General for North Africa and Country Manager for Mauritania, Malinne Blomberg, said: “The aim of our involvement in this large-scale project is to turn our policy of supporting the development of green infrastructure in Africa into a reality.

“To promote green, inclusive, sustainable growth, which will significantly improve the living conditions of people in Africa.”

“We firmly believe that this project will have a transformative effect on promoting both the private sector and trade and, consequently, create job opportunities.”

Daniel Schroth, the Bank Group’s Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, said this regional project is a flagship for the sub-region’s energy transition.

He lauded the close cooperation between Mauritania and Mali, as well as technical and financial partners in preparing the project.

Originally published by Yunus Kemp on ESI-Africa.