SA energy now faces a water crisis
South Africa is limping from one crisis to another.
The Rand Water, a state-owned company (SOE) water utility company announced that it has requested the three main metros in Gauteng to institute a level one water restriction due to Rand Water's dams and reservoirs operating from a low capacity level.
It is not a surprise that soon after the electricity crisis was arrested, poetically denied bail and remanded to stay in prison for the last 200 days without any chances of bail.
At last SA enters into a water crisis.
As a country, we seem to have a never-ending national crisis.
We are barely over the electricity crisis and bang here comes another one.
A water crisis, but why, when SA enjoys unrestricted and unlimited access to the Lesotho highlands water reserves.
Is Rand Water another Eskom 2.0 in waiting?
What is really bewitching this country with all these never-ending extremities.
South Africa is moving from one crisis to another.
What is at the heart of this crisis?
Without proper constant electricity supply it makes it more difficult to operate and manage water reservoirs, reserve water systems, dams and other water resources in general.
Water is a key resource used for the generation of electricity. What impact will these water shortages and restrictions have on electricity generation as a whole?
Water is a critical resource in any thermal power plant.
Water has multiple uses in power generation in actual effect; it is used widely throughout the energy generation processes and extensively used in mining any resource especially coal.
So it comes as a major concern to learn that SA is facing a catastrophic water shortage crisis.
Does Eskom have a secure water supply plan and contingency supply in case the current water shortage crisis becomes severe?
Can Eskom survive and still manage to generate electricity if there is no water hypothetically? We know for a fact that it is impossible to generate the steam needed to generate electricity using coal, nuclear, hydro and gas OCGTs turbines without water.
South Africa is a water-stressed and scarce country.
Enjoying 200 days of a load shedding free environment is not something to celebrate, if you are living in a well-run properly operating state.
Coal contrary to popular beliefs and speculations is still dominating the world's energy production.
Indirectly contributing towards the growth of the world's economy and overall economic growth.
In South Africa it was coal that saved the day against the 6 years of devastating high levels of load shedding.
Despite fancy claims purportedly made that credits the end of load shedding to the 4500 MW rooftop solar.
It is a fact that during those days of load shedding crisis worsening in 2022 and 2023 many homes and households in SA that could afford to install a solar, inverter and battery system moved and installed solar system to relieve themselves of the frustrations.
And we still suffered the worst levels of load shedding at times dialling up to level 6 and worse.
It is a fact that during those days of load shedding crisis worsening in 2022 and 2023 many homes and households in SA that could afford to install a solar, inverter and battery system moved to our system to relieve themselves of the frustrations.
Power Plant Water Management:
Over the past few decades the evolution of technologies has resulted in countries employing a combination of mechanisms to operate thermal power plants.
The combination of cooling technology and fuel technology tends to alter the water demand in electricity generation drastically.
Therefore water demand forecasting is essential in determining the contribution of electricity generation within the overall water usage profile of a country or region.
Similarly during droughts there have been occasions that generation plants have been shut down because if operated they would not be compliant with water use regulations.
Hence, water use for electricity generation affects regional ecology and security of supply of both water and electricity.
There are different technologies used for cooling which possess advantages and disadvantages.
The most used technologies are: once-through (open-loop) cooling, closed-loop (wet) cooling, dry (air) cooling and hybrid cooling.
Coal use and demand is on the rise:
According to Energy Institute “Coal In 2023, global coal production reached its highest ever level (179 EJ), beating the previous high set the year before.
The Asia Pacific region accounted for nearly 80% of global output with activity concentrated in just four countries: Australia, China, India, and Indonesia (jointly responsible for 97% of the region’s output).
China alone was responsible for just over half of total global production. North America, Southern and Central America, Europe and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) all saw their production fall relative to 2022 levels.
Coal consumption in India exceeded the combined consumption of Europe and North America for the first time ever Exajoules Global coal consumption breached 164 EJ for the first time ever.
An increase of 1.6% over 2022 was seven times higher than the previous ten-year average growth rate.
Whilst China is by far the largest consumer of coal (56% of the world’s total), in 2023 India exceeded the combined consumption of Europe and North America for the first time ever. Coal consumption in both Europe and North America each fell below 10 EJ.
So we cannot overemphasise the strategic relevance of coal in an economy and now with the pending water crisis SA must do everything in its power to protect and secure these critical resources if we are to survive the coming future of energy sovereignty.
Water will continue to pose a geo-economic threat but we must strengthen the relationship with the Lesotho government for having secured and supplied SA water needs through a bilateral water for energy exchange agreement.
This agreement was crafted years ago during apartheid as a geopolitical and geostrategic deterrent strategy.
So that SA and Lesotho will never ever go through a war in our lifetime.
This deterrent strategic agreement for the next coming years will continue to ensure that SA receives bulk water from the Lesotho Highlands.
Without water security Eskom has no future.
Crown Prince Adil Nchabeleng is president of Transform RSA and an independent energy expert.
* The views in this column are independent of “Business Report” and Independent Media.
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