Medupi power station and the water-energy nexus in South Africa

2020 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Michela Marcatelli
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Water Energy Nexus

scholarly journals Externality costs of the coal-fuel cycle: The case of Kusile Power Station

2017 ◽  
Vol 113 (9/10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nonophile P. Nkambule ◽  
James N. Blignaut
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Flue Gas ◽  
Electricity Generation ◽  
Fuel Cycle ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Ecological Systems ◽  
Energy Sources ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Coal Fuel

Coal-based electricity is an integral part of daily life in South Africa and globally. However, the use of coal for electricity generation carries a heavy cost for social and ecological systems that goes far beyond the price we pay for electricity. We developed a model based on a system dynamics approach for understanding the measurable and quantifiable coal-fuel cycle burdens and externality costs, over the lifespan of a supercritical coal-fired power station that is fitted with a flue-gas desulfurisation device (i.e. Kusile Power Station). The total coal-fuel cycle externality cost on both the environment and humans over Kusile’s lifespan was estimated at ZAR1 449.9 billion to ZAR3 279 billion or 91c/kWh to 205c/kWh sent out (baseline: ZAR2 172.7 billion or 136c/kWh). Accounting for the life-cycle burdens and damages of coal-derived electricity conservatively, doubles to quadruples the price of electricity, making renewable energy sources such as wind and solar attractive alternatives.

scholarly journals Assessing the energy and carbon footprints of exploiting and treating brackish groundwater in Cape Town

Water SA ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 45 (1 January) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aumashvini Gobin ◽  
Debbie Sparks ◽  
John Okedi ◽  
Neil Armitage ◽  
Fadiel Ahjum
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Energy Demand ◽  
Cape Town ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
Water Energy Nexus ◽  
Treatment Mechanisms ◽  
Minimal Treatment ◽  
New Treatment ◽  
Installed Capacity

South Africa has been facing significant challenges in meeting demands in its water and energy sectors in recent years and planning for both sectors has mostly been done separately. The City of Cape Town has started to supplement its dwindling conventional freshwater supplies with groundwater, wastewater and seawater, in light of the drought that commenced in 2015. The Cape Flats Aquifer in Cape Town represents an important resource whose yield could be increased to 85 000 m3/ day through artificial stormwater recharge in the Zeekoe Catchment alone. The abstraction and treatment of this water would require significant amounts of energy and thus this paper explores the links between energy usage in the water sector and its carbon footprint. The three alternatives investigated were ‘centralised’, ‘desalination’ and ‘decentralised’ approaches. The former two are centralised treatment mechanisms to produce potable water utilising existing and new treatment infrastructure, respectively, and the latter proposed minimal treatment for non-potable end-users. The energy intensities of the alternatives were evaluated by identifying energy-intensive components and carrying out a preliminary design of the networks and the required treatment mechanisms. South Africa’s future potential electricity mixes were used to conceptualise the significance of the associated energy demand. The centralised approach’s energy intensity was found to be the lowest of the three, ranging from 1.16 to 1.57 MJ/m3, while those of the decentralised and desalination approaches ranged from 3.57 to 7.31 MJ/m3 and 7.41 to 9.62 MJ/m3, respectively. The Western Cape Water Supply System has an installed capacity of 47.6 MW which could potentially increase by at least 2.7%, 5.7% and 12.3% through the centralised, decentralised and desalination options, respectively. This paper contributes to a growing knowledge on the water–energy nexus in South Africa. 

scholarly journals Analyzing nitrogen oxides to carbon dioxide emission ratios from space: A case study of Matimba Power Station in South Africa

2021 ◽  
pp. 100110
Author(s):  
Janne Hakkarainen ◽  
Monika E. Szelag ◽  
Iolanda Ialongo ◽  
Christian Retscher ◽  
Tomohiro Oda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Carbon Dioxide ◽  
Nitrogen Oxides ◽  
Carbon Dioxide Emission ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Emission Ratios

scholarly journals Modelling the water energy nexus: should variability in water supply impact on decision making for future energy supply options?

2018 ◽  
Vol 376 ◽  
pp. 3-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D. S. Cullis ◽  
Nicholas J. Walker ◽  
Fadiel Ahjum ◽  
Diego Juan Rodriguez
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Developing Countries ◽  
Water Supply ◽  
Water Availability ◽  
Energy Supply ◽  
Power Stations ◽  
Energy Technologies ◽  
Water Demands ◽  
Cost Curves ◽  
Water Energy Nexus

Abstract. Many countries, like South Africa, Australia, India, China and the United States, are highly dependent on coal fired power stations for energy generation. These power stations require significant amounts of water, particularly when fitted with technology to reduce pollution and climate change impacts. As water resources come under stress it is important that spatial variability in water availability is taken into consideration for future energy planning particularly with regards to motivating for a switch from coal fired power stations to renewable technologies. This is particularly true in developing countries where there is a need for increased power production and associated increasing water demands for energy. Typically future energy supply options are modelled using a least cost optimization model such as TIMES that considers water supply as an input cost, but is generally constant for all technologies. Different energy technologies are located in different regions of the country with different levels of water availability and associated infrastructure development and supply costs. In this study we develop marginal cost curves for future water supply options in different regions of a country where different energy technologies are planned for development. These water supply cost curves are then used in an expanded version of the South Africa TIMES model called SATIM-W that explicitly models the water-energy nexus by taking into account the regional nature of water supply availability associated with different energy supply technologies. The results show a significant difference in the optimal future energy mix and in particular an increase in renewables and a demand for dry-cooling technologies that would not have been the case if the regional variability of water availability had not been taken into account. Choices in energy policy, such as the introduction of a carbon tax, will also significantly impact on future water resources, placing additional water demands in some regions and making water available for other users in other regions with a declining future energy demand. This study presents a methodology for modelling the water-energy nexus that could be used to inform the sustainable development planning process in the water and energy sectors for both developed and developing countries.

Russia looms large in murky South Africa nuclear plan

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Nuclear Energy ◽  
Credit Rating ◽  
Power Production ◽  
Power Station ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Assets ◽  
Term Energy ◽  
Weak Growth

Subject South Africa-Russia cooperation on nuclear energy. Significance Fitch Ratings yesterday warned of a possible credit rating downgrade later in the year, partly due to weak growth linked to power supply woes. President Jacob Zuma outlined the government's long-term energy security plan in his February 12 state of the nation address, though subsequent attention on the details of a nuclear 'deal' with Russia reveal secretive diplomacy and governance problems. Impacts The start of power production at Eskom's long-delayed Medupi power station will begin to ease supply woes -- but slowly. Johannesburg's plan to generate power from biogas could encourage other cities to implement independent programmes. State plans to generate 23 billion rand to help Eskom by selling "non-strategic" assets could be resisted by affected ministries and unions.

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