Electricity and Control June 2024

ENERGY MANAGEMENT + THE INDUSTRIAL ENVIRONMENT

its products are designed to optimise energy efficiency and are supplied with energy consumption certificates, which provide customers the confirmation that they are using energy-efficient products. Siemens also supports circularity in its own production – conserving resources and using recyclable materials among other things – and in this regard too it provides product certificates for customers, supporting them in the international market. The company has recently introduced a product de signed to measure CO 2 emissions in production processes and this can provide a direct feed into ESG (environmental, social and governance) reporting, now a requirement for most international markets. It provides auditable numbers, which are tracked automatically, to inform ESG accounting and audits. Siemens has seen a major uptake of this new product, especially among the multinationals with which it works. She notes that in South Africa the transition to greater use of renewable energy and hybrid systems in industry is also supported by the amended electricity regulations which allowed for uncapped private generation. This drew a huge response from industry, with the development of in dependent power generation at bigger and smaller scale, and now, 18 months on, we are seeing the benefits of that private investment. SA can gain more from investment in green resources, she says. In closing Dall’Omo emphasises again the importance of consistent revenue collection in municipal utilities and how digitalisation and meter data management can make a big difference here. She says appropriate SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems should be installed to manage municipal networks. These are fundamental: providing for control centres to be automatically and im mediately alerted to any outages, to dispatch maintenance teams accordingly and restore supply more quickly. This supports more uptime, a better service for customers, and more consistent and stable revenue for the utility – deliver ing a sound return on investment. She notes: “During the pandemic we learned the value of staying connected and informed – and this is evident now in the continuing development of data centres, in South Africa and across the continent, to handle increasing digitalisation and the flow of data in almost all sectors of the economy.” □ References [1] https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/assets/downloads/JET%20 Implementation%20Plan%202023-2027.pdf [2] considering the impact the planned shutdown and repurposing of coal-fired power stations will have on related jobs and communities in Mpumalanga, the need for new skills, and the potential migration of skills to other provinces where renewable energy resources are located; [3] https://www.stateofthenation.gov.za/assets/downloads/climate/ South%20Africa%20JET%20IP%202023-2027%20At-a-Glance.pdf

The JET Implementation Plan was developed from the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan [3] which was prepared by the Presidential Climate Commission and maps out South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. It states that the country seeks to build a pathway towards a low-carbon and climate-resilient society; to decarbonise the economy within the target range (of SA’s nationally determined contribution to emissions reductions) of between 350 and 420 Mt CO 2 equivalent by 2030; and to implement a transition that: Protects vulnerable workers and communities; Builds energy security; Expands energy access; Promotes industrial development; Drives innovation; Develops sustainable livelihoods; Enables economic diversification; Spurs inclusive economic growth; and is aligned with SA’s NDP and the Just Transition Framework. She emphasises that we need to invest in long-lasting solutions rather than patching an ailing system, which is generally where we are now in most municipalities in South Africa. MV and LV products Siemens has a portfolio of medium voltage and low voltage products which support grid management at national and municipal levels. It supplies grid protection equipment, dig ital technologies that provide for centralised monitoring and control of transmission and distribution networks and meter data management, systems to support microgrids – such as inverters and inverter skids, and digital microgrid con trollers – whether for rural electricity or energy independ ence for industry. Dall’Omo highlights that industry in SA and Africa is in creasingly responding to growing demand in global mar kets for low-carbon production and this is motivating the move to energy independence, the use of renewable en ergy, and a shift to microgrids, which enable businesses to better manage their emissions. All Siemens products support energy efficiencies, reduced energy usage and reduced costs. Across its portfolio of drives, relays, switches, switchgear and more, Importantly, the Upper Blinkwater microgrid is maintained by people in the community.

For more information visit: www.siemens.com/global/en.html

12 Electricity + Control JUNE 2024