Gerald Heystek

Who Gains Advantage from Unbalanced Network Conditions?   What could possibly prompt Eskom or any power distribution companies to look into issues of unbalanced power networks? Could it be the threat of legal proceedings?   I understood that a representative from Eskom was notified about potential network imbalances at the Modderbee municipal substation, but it might have been disregarded as unlikely. However, since I was not present, I ca not vouch for the accuracy of the information I received indirectly. The secondary reason for publishing this article is my effort to reach out to someone who professes to have extensive knowledge about Eskom’s power quality. I did not just send one email, but two. Despite being successfully delivered, the first email went unanswered, and the second was “deleted without being read,” as per the notification I received in my email account. Consider the recent increase in reported issues with cables and transformers, and then draw your own conclusions: Are Eskom and other power suppliers aware of the network imbalances? Moreover, do they implement sufficient checks to identify these issues in the networks? From what I've observed, it doesn't seem so. They seem to ignore any alerts related to network imbalances. A question that often arises is: who benefits from the extra costs that customers incur due to unbalanced network voltage conditions? Let us explore this. Customers need a specific amount of electrical power, also known as real power, to perform certain tasks. However, the unbalanced network conditions result in a significant increase in inefficient powers, leading to a rise in apparent power. As customers’ bills are mainly calculated based on this apparent power, they end up paying more for these inefficient powers. On the generation side, power must be produced to also compensate for the losses. Each unit generated carries a profit margin. Hence, the more units produced, the higher the profits. It is crucial to remember that all power plants, whether they are coal-fired, nuclear, or renewable, do not operate as non-profit organizations. It's also important to note that network imbalances are not easily noticeable in power supplies. For example, in Linden, people might believe the power supply is working properly by examining the phase-to-neutral voltages. Likewise, in Modderbee, officials from Eskom and the electricity department might view the network as free of issues when they see that the phase-to-phase voltages are stable. If you think that living in a different part of the world protects you from unbalanced network conditions, it may be beneficial to reevaluate that belief. As highlighted in this document, you might be completely oblivious to such events.

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Teraco, Africa’s largest data centre provider, is building a R2bn power plant to secure stable, reliable backup energy for its systems that can ill afford Eskom’s continued load-shedding. CEO Jan Hnizdo outlines the investment case for digital infrastructure, the company’s business model and investor interest in the space. Hnizdo highlights that in a modern economy driven by cloud computing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), data centres have become critical infrastructure. “Our big focus is on security and access to sites and then it’s about space, power and cooling,” he says. “The power and the cooling are the two critical aspects. Our service-level agreement with our clients is actually 99.99% uptime. We just can’t go down because if we do we’re going to land up taking our cloud clients’ infrastructure down.” ---------- #BDSpotlight PODCAST | Economics of SA’s digital infrastructure according to Teraco – A Digital Realty Company We're joined by Jan Hnizdo, CEO of Teraco Data Environments. LISTEN https://lnkd.in/dZQKHDrC via Business Day on BusinessLiveSA

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The South African Presidency does not anticipate that Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd’s move to reserve scarce grid capacity for independent power producers (IPPs) participating in public procurement bidding rounds will disrupt the more than 130 private IPP projects being advanced outside of those processes to supply private consumers. Speaking during a briefing convened to report back on the reforms implemented under Operation Vulindlela, including those undertaken to address South Africa’s loadshedding crisis, the Presidency’s project management unit head Rudi Dicks lauded the progress being made through the Energy One Stop Shop to support the private projects stimulated by the reform to allow grid-connected private projects of any size to proceed without a licence. The pipeline of such projects had increased significantly and currently represented a combined capacity of 22.5 GW and an estimated investment value of R390-billion. The projects, he stated, were also additional to those that would be bid as part of various public procurement processes being advanced in line with Section 34 of the Electricity Regulation Act, where Ministerial determinations had been issued for the procurement of about 10 000 MW of wind, solar PV and gas-to-power generation, as well as battery energy storage. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dRqAex5q #RenewableEnergy #Solar #SouthAfrica

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South Africa’s municipalities and Eskom are grappling with a significant revenue challenge stemming from non-vending prepaid electricity meters. With almost 40% of these meters bypassed or compromised through ghost vending - the impact on service delivery and financial sustainability has become severe. Smart Metering offers a long term solution to these challenges and provides Municipalities and Eskom with actionable insights - promoting renevue collection, protection and enhancement.

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Custos Energy and partners’ Namibia discovery may hold 10bn barrels Custos Energy says hydrocarbons in place at its Mopane complex alone are estimated at 10 billion barrels of oil equivalent or higher before drilling additional exploration and appraisal wells. This comes as Galp Energia, which operates Petroleum Exploration Licence (PEL) 83 with an 80% interest, while the National Petroleum Corporation (NAMCOR NAMIBIA) holds 10%, and Custos Energy, half-owned by Sintana Energy Inc. (TSXV: SEI) (OTCQB: SEUSF), has a 10% stake, successfully completed the first phase of the Mopane exploration campaign with the conclusion of the Mopane1X Well Testing operations. According to the Namibian independent oil and gas exploration company, the flows achieved during the well test reached the maximum allowed limits of 14 kboepd, potentially positioning Mopane as an important commercial discovery. “The successful culmination of the exploration campaign at Mopane, including a well test reaching the maximum allowable limit, further demonstrates the scope and potential of PEL 83. With the current discoveries alone containing potential in excess of 10 billion barrels of original oil in place, Mopane is one of the largest discoveries globally,” said Knowledge Katti, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Custos. https://lnkd.in/dhwcQ2Wi #namibia #oilandgas #oilexploration Namibia Petroleum Operators Association (NAMPOA) Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board (NIPDB) Tom Alweendo

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So am I! I cannot wait to join this webinar with my colleague, Keanu Damon, to show you how we have grown a local computational design solution to one competing with the world's best. 7SecondSolar #solarempowered

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Solar Energy Market in South Africa 2024-2028, has a promising trajectory. This optimism is propelled by various influential factors, indicating a significant leap forward for the industry in the coming years. https://lnkd.in/dB6NTKWM #Sigenergy #Renewable #Solar #EnergyIndependence

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Chronic underinvestment in transmission grid is a good exhibit of the hidden costs of Eskom’s vertical integration #electricity #transmission #Eskom https://ow.ly/SzgG50SZmk3

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Layered, fit for purpose comms networks crucial for smart ports in SA Comsol Networks https://lnkd.in/d6KQwkwE

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☀️ Tracking South Africa’s journey to a just energy transition: the Western Cape The Western Cape could have enough power production capacity to cover 80% of its needs by 2032, according to Alwie Lester, special adviser to the province’s premier on energy forecasts, with the other 20% coming from Eskom. Installed rooftop solar capacity in the Western Cape has grown from 146MW to 710MW in just three years, according to weekly system reports from the National Transmission Company of SA. At this pace, it could rival the output of one of Koeberg nuclear power station’s generators by September 2025. Note: The installed capacity of rooftop solar is estimated using satellite imagery 🔗 Explore more: South Africa’s Road to a Just Energy Transition https://lnkd.in/d8aWtczf ➽ For more like this, sign up to our weekly data-driven newsletter: https://lnkd.in/dMU2_kFe Western Cape Government Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd

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⚡ Lesotho is making significant strides in expanding its power trading capabilities. The Lesotho Electricity Company Pty Ltd (Official) recently organised an information dissemination workshop focused on establishing a Southern African Power Pool trading office in Lesotho. Supported by GET.transform and facilitated by Bredesen Consulting, this workshop is part of the #EU-funded #RenewableLesotho initiative. This new trading office will open doors for cross-border electricity trading, spur new investments, and provide technical means for grid stabilisation. Participants discussed various market types, frameworks, and strategies to ensure operational efficiency. This initiative is set to enhance #Lesotho's power market and contribute to the region's energy security and sustainability. https://lnkd.in/eN8McxNx #RenewableEnergy #PowerMarket #SustainableDevelopment #EnergyTransition

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📡 Let's let the industry steer the goodbye to old 2G and 3G networks in SA! The government's plan to pull the plug by 2027 isn't sitting well. But hey, our mobile giants are already paving the way to 3G migration on their own. Time for a smooth tech transition, driven by those who know it best! Wouldn't you agree?  #2Gphasingout #5Gimplementation

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Are #skyrocketing #electricitytariffs coming your bottom line? One Energy Midrand and One Energy KZN North Coast will help you #takecontrol and hedge your #energycosts for the next 20yrs. Consider One Energy

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#EskomMediaStatement #Eskom anticipates a reduced intensity and frequency of loadshedding for the winter of 2024 compared to the previous one, limiting it to Stage 2 https://lnkd.in/d_XAi6qz

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Bidvest FM has an end-to-end utilities and energy management solution that leverages best practices, resulting in accurate billing and cost savings, efficient resource usage, carbon footprint reduction, and governance and risk management compliance. Talk to us about managing your energy and utilities for reductions and efficiencies. Contact us at [email protected] or visit https://lnkd.in/dxTQuK3 #BidvestFM #EnergyManagementSolutions #GreenEnergyWeek

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#EskomMediaStatement Eskom appoints transformer suppliers for Transmission Development Plan to connect new generation capacity aligned with renewed localisation approach https://lnkd.in/dXJS9j8y #EskomTransmission #TransmissionDevelopmentPlan #TDP

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