Browsing by Subject "Renewable energy sources"
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- ItemOpen AccessEnergy alternatives for the supply of water in Namaqualand (Progress report)(1990) Eberhard, AntonThe objective of this project is to investigate appropriate water supply alternatives for underdeveloped rural areas with reference to a specific case study of an equivalent diesel and photovoltaic water pumping installation at Rietpoort in Namaqualand .
- ItemOpen AccessFeito no Brasil? Made in South Africa? Boosting technological development through local content requirements in the wind energy industry(Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2013) Rennkamp, Britta; Westin, Fernanda FortesHow can local content requirements (LCR) boost technological capability for renewable energy? This paper investigates the implementation of LCR in the wind energy in Brazil and South Africa. Brazil tried to grow a local wind industry requiring 60% domestic content in each installation since 2004. South Africa demands up to 45% domestic content in its recent program. The benefits of these requirements are heavily debated. The rationale behind LCR is that governments in developing countries intend to stimulate jobs in new industries and to accelerate technological development. This market intervention imposes a barrier for international manufacturers, as local manufacturing can push up the technology prices. Based on evidence from Brazil and South Africa, we find that LCR fall short as a single technology policy instrument. The Brazilian case shows that LCR incentivized the domestic production of low and medium technology content. These are the heavy parts, such as the towers, which are difficult to transport. Recently, parts of the nacelle, hubs and blades have increasingly been manufactured locally. High technology-intensive components, however, continue to be imported. Boosting local industries requires not just restrictive measure such as content requirements but, more importantly, it requires active support of technological capability.
- ItemOpen AccessProcurement models applied to independent power producer programmes in South Africa(University of Cape Town., 2014) Martin, Brenda; Winkler, HaraldWhat is the procurement model in South Africa as it applies to renewable energy (RE) and base load (BL) independent power producer procurement programmes (IPPPP) and how might these be improved? What lessons have been learned in the RE IPPPP? What challenges might the emerging BL IPPP programme face and how might these challenges be addressed? To what extent are lessons from RE applicable to BL? This research paper provides conclusions from consideration of these questions, shares research findings, highlights remaining critical questions, and provides recommendations for the future. Procurement is an aspect of governance, and improved governance is one of five goals of energy policy, as outlined in the 1998 White Paper, which considers procurement as ‘that step within planning during which government determines what is to be built; and which ends with the announcement of preferred bidder(s)'. Research findings are based on primary data gathered through a literature review followed by interviews with 20 senior respondents from the following zones within the energy sector: government, business, investment, consultancy and advisory, labour and NGOs. A listing of secondary literature consulted is provided on the final pages of this report. Overall, the REIPPPP is viewed by many respondents as a positive and innovative programme. Caution is mainly expressed in relation to the long-term prospects for benefits that really accrue to South Africa’s development agenda. A key finding is that Eskom’s future financial health presents a significant risk to both RE and BL IPPPPs.
- ItemOpen AccessRenewable energy choices and water requirements in South Africa(University of Cape Town., 2013) Madhlopa, Amos; Keen, Samantha; Sparks, Debbie; Moorlach, Mascha; Dane, AnthonySouth Africa (SA) is an arid country, where water supply is often obtained from distant sources. There is also increasing pressure on the limited water resources due to economic and population growth, with a concomitant increase in the energy requirement for water production. This problem will be exacerbated by the onset of climate change. Recently, there have been concerns about negative impacts arising from the exploitation of energy resources. In particular, the burning of fossil fuels is significantly contributing to climate change through the emission of carbon dioxide (major greenhouse gas). In addition, fossil fuels are getting depleted, thereby decreasing energy security. Consequently, the international community has initiated various interventions, including the transformation of policy and regulatory instruments, to promote sustainable energy. In view of this, SA is making policy and regulatory shifts in line with the international developments. Renewable energy is being promoted as one way of achieving sustainable energy provision in the country. However, some issues require scrutiny in order to understand the water footprint of renewable energy production. Due to the large gap that exists between water supply and demand, trade-offs in water allocation amongst different users are critical. In this vein, the main objective of this study was to investigate renewable energy choices and water requirements in SA. Data was acquired through a combination of a desktop study and expert interviews. Water withdrawal and consumption levels at a given stage of energy production were investigated at international and national levels. Most of the data was collected from secondary sources (literature) and therefore the assessment boundaries are not fully comparable. Results show that there are limited data on all aspects of water usage in the production of energy, accounting in part for the significant variations in the values of water intensity reported in the global literature. It is vital to take into account all aspects of the energy life cycle to enable isolation of stages where substantial amounts of water are used. Conventional fuels (nuclear and fossil fuels) withdraw significant quantities of water over the life-cycle of energy production, especially for thermoelectric power plants operated with a wetcooling system. The quality of water is also adversely affected in some stages of energy production from these fuels. On the other hand, solar photovoltaic and wind energy exhibit the lowest demand for water, and could perhaps be considered the most viable renewable energy options in terms of water withdrawal and consumption.
- ItemOpen AccessRiding the tide of biopharming in Africa: Considerations for risk assessment(2006) Chakauya, Ereck; Chikwamba, Rachel; Rybicki, Edward PIn the past few years, plant biotechnology has gone beyond traditional agricultural production of food, feed and fibre, and moved to address more complex contemporary health, social and industrial challenges. The newera involves production of novel pharmaceutical products, speciality and fine chemicals, phytoremediation and production of renewable energy resources to replace nonrenewable fossil fuels. Plants have been shown to provide a genuine and low-cost alternative production system for high-value products. Currently, the principal plant-made products include antibodies, feed additives, vaccine antigens and hormones for human and animal health, and industrial proteins. Despite the unique advantages of scalability, cost and product safety, issues of politics, environmental impact, regulation and socioeconomics still limit the adoption of biopharmaceuticals, especially in the developing world. Plant-based production systems have further complicated biosafety, gene flow and environmental impact assessments with generally genetically modified plants, topics that are already partially understood. This article provides a background to biopharming, highlighting basic considerations for risk assessment and regulation in developing countries, with an emphasis on plant-based vaccine production in South Africa.
- ItemOpen AccessTowards a new power plan(Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2013) Energy Research CentreIn brief, this report is intended to stimulate debate around our future power sources. The results suggest that nuclear investments are not necessary (at least not in the next 15 to 25 years), nor are they cost-effective based on latest cost data. Gas options should be explored more intensively and hydro projects from the region should be fast-tracked.
- ItemOpen AccessWater considerations in selecting energy technologies(Energy Research Centre, University of Cape Town., 2014) Madhlopa, Amos; Keen, Samantha; Sparks, Debbie; Moorlach, MaschaWater plays a vital role in the socio-economic development of any nation. It is exploited in different economic sectors, including the energy sector. Water and energy are inextricably related, and this relationship is usually referred to as the water-energy nexus. Water is used for energy production in the abstraction, growth and preparation of some fuels as well as in some power plants. It is also used in the raw materials for plant infrastructure, manufacturing of plant components, and the construction of power generating infrastructure. The volume of water used in the raw materials will vary widely, not only with the technology, but also the material type and plant design. Furthermore, these materials can be imported from any location and the associated water use is not limited to any water catchment, water management area or local authority.