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THE eThekwini Municipality and the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI) are moving in the same direction as Pietermaritzburg in a bid to explore alternatives to load shedding.
And according to energy analyst Chris Yelland, the need for municipalities to find alternative energy sources and demand reduction solutions could not be greater as each council attempts to find a competitive economic edge to attract investment and business.
The Durban Chamber is currently holding a series of energy meetings in a bid to find a solution to alleviate load shedding on the struggling business sector, particularly manufacturing.
The DCCI said in a statement released yesterday that the engagement was also for “eThekwini electricity and Eskom to unpack their load shedding philosophy to big business”.
The chamber is hosting these meetings in south, north, west and central Durban.
However, Pietermaritzburg Chamber of Business CEO Melanie Veness believes Msunduzi is leading the way in the province in trying to find solutions to South Africa’s deepening energy crisis.
The capital city’s businesses had already committed to an energy project that would see industry commit to voluntarily cutting power usage moments before load shedding commences to mitigate the need for power cuts in the city.
“We have recently commissioned a study to be undertaken on the feasibility of accessing piped gas from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. If this is successful, it will give us a better quantity of gas and security of supply. Several large industries use gas for much of their needs already. A gas pipeline would become a vital tool in attracting further industry to the region,” said Veness.
She said while Pietermaritzburg was seen as pioneering solutions in KZN, each municipality had a different set of issues to deal with.
“We are fortunate as our city’s energy mix is 70% business, 30% residential. The Msunduzi Municipality has been open to all suggestions, from load-shedding schedules to fixing electricity infrastructure,” said Veness.
But she said while there is an “academic” conversation on the region being able to supply its own energy, alternative power sources would need to be found to secure the needs of local industry in the medium term.
Yelland said Johannesburg and Cape Town were leading the race nationally in energy mitigation.
“There is a raft of innovative techniques available. Some are mature while others are esoteric. Municipalities are putting effort into mitigation techniques to give them a competitive edge.”
Yelland said smart meters, turning off geyers remotely and “own energy generation” were all measures municipalities could explore.
“Generating your own power will be more expensive than what it can be purchased for from Eskom, but they [Eskom] don’t have what cities need. Keeping the power on, albeit at reduced loads, is better for everyone rather than the power being cut completely.”
