Energy and security : the role of renewable energy in South Africa

Abstract

Conceptualising energy security is of the upmost importance when considering any definition of energy security applicable to a country or geographical context. This conceptualisation leads to the definition and allocation of applicable influencing elements, that ultimately underpin this definition, but more importantly lead to policy and the associated legislation formulation. A major contributing factor to energy security for any country is the understanding of the relationship between economic growth and energy consumption. There are various phases (Growth, Conservation, Neutral and Feedback hypothesis) of this relationship and each is represented by a different causal direction. This relationship forms a critical factor to consider when conceptualising energy security. A Second critical factor underpinning energy security is the selection of the appropriate electricity generation mix. Currently South Africa is dominated by coal as energy source, with nuclear, gas, diesel and recently renewable sources that contribute electricity to the national grid. Much of the worlds, including South Africa, generation fleet is reaching end of life and is standing at a pivotal point having to decide on the appropriate energy mix that allows transitioning to an environmentally friendly generation fleet. This research set out to review the South African energy policies to ascertain whether the encapsulated elements are still valid and current, to review the historical 3 :2 economic growth and energy consumption relationship utilised in the Integrated Resource Plan 2010 formulation to determine its validity and ultimately to explore the possibility of a 100% renewable energy generation profile for South Africa. A case study methodology was employed, where interviews with industry experts were analysed and validity of emerging themes plaid with the introduction of secondary data. The research has found that i) the current definition of energy security, as stipulated in the South Africa Energy Master Plan (2007), is out of date and needs revision, ii) the historical 3 :2 economic growth and energy consumption relationship is out of date and it is recommended that a bottom up sectoral analysis be done to determine the current relationship and iii) the a 100% renewable energy generation profile for South Africa is not currently feasible until such time as electricity storage becomes an economical viable option.