Energy

WEG Africa offers in-house access to specialised facilities including a labyrinth rolling machine for sealing strips. (Image source: WEG Africa)

Steam turbines represent mission-critical equipment for a range of industries from sugar and paper to steel and petrochemicals, but there is now greater opportunity among these sectors to generate more energy to sell into South Africa’s national grid, according to WEG Africa

Traditionally, companies using steam turbines have usually consumed all the energy they produce in their processes – with a range of benefits such as supply reliability and cost savings. As the country struggles to keep up with power demand, however, there are more opportunities for the private sector to produce excess electricity for sale into the grid.

According to Alastair Gerrard, executive energy systems at WEG Africa, this trend is already advanced in Brazil – the home of holding company WEG. Many steam turbine users in Brazil have capitalised on these opportunities by increasing their boiler efficiency.

“While it may be common in South Africa’s sugar industry, for example, to use medium pressure boilers, the Brazilian market uses high pressure boilers up to 140 bar – and gain significant efficiencies with these higher pressures,” said Gerrard. “This allows these sugar producers and other users to upgrade their facilities and considerably augment their revenues through the sale of electricity, while also paying off their capital investments much quicker.”

He points to the government’s strategic direction in establishing the National Transmission Company of South Africa, a key step in transforming the country’s electricity industry. This will open doors for more private companies to ‘export’ excess electricity into the grid, helping to stabilise supply and strengthen the foundation for economic growth.

“This has been successfully achieved in countries like Brazil, and it is exciting to see that we are making progress on this journey in South Africa,” Gerrard added. “We believe that WEG Africa has an important role to play in this endeavour – through our long experience in this field and our full service offering for steam turbine users.”

A comprehensive offering

Cobus van Eeden, WEG turbine services manager at WEG Africa, highlighted that the company offers customers a turnkey capability. It sizes steam turbine solutions according to the specific operating parameters of the customer’s application, and supplies a bespoke thermal power system. The service also includes installing the machines, commissioning and ongoing after-sales servicing and maintenance.

“As an OEM of steam turbines, gearboxes and generators, we can even help customers to assess their current equipment – whether these are WEG products or from other OEMs – and provide strategic options and recommendations,” surmised van Eeden. “In addition to our depth of engineering expertise for repairing such equipment, we can also analyse the potential for enhancing operational efficiency and increasing power output capability of the equipment.”

The company provides long term service level agreements, including contracts for preventative maintenance. WEG Africa also works with customers on their forward planning, which may include considering the transition to electricity exporting.

Unrivalled customer support

Gerrard pointed out that this approach is built on its commitment as an OEM to stand alongside customers throughout the lifecycle of the equipment supplied. He noted that, while there has in the past been some acceptance of third-party support in this field, WEG Africa favours in-house OEM support for its solutions through service level agreements that give customers confidence in the total lifecycle cost of their purchase.

“Our field service technicians – active in many African countries and offshore – are on site with customers, developing a thorough understanding of their equipment and requirements,” he explained. “We integrate this information within our various functions to deliver the most valuable response and guidance on maintenance scheduling.”

Van Eeden outlined WEG Africa’s extensive engineering capability which includes machine servicing on customers’ sites – from gearboxes and turbines to generators and control systems. Equipment requiring more intensive work can be transported to the company’s 1,200 sq m workshop east of Johannesburg, which prides itself on quick turnarounds.

“Our facility includes full engineering capabilities, including the repair and manufacture of turbine bearings as well as the ability to conduct aftermarket engineering and optimising of numerous components,” he said. “We achieve this through our skilled machinists and technical staff, working with sophisticated scanning and engineering tools.”

In-house access to specialised facilities such as a labyrinth rolling machine for sealing strips, as well as a sandblasting booth for preparing components, further underpins the quality of workmanship and efficiency – thereby minimising downtime for customers.

This article was authored by WEG Africa.

Advanced metering technology will transform Africa's electricity industry by providing real-time monitoring, accurate billing, and enhanced energy management. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

SteamaCo, a UK-based leader in energy revenue management, has announced that it has merged with Shyft Power Solutions, a Nigerian innovator in digital energy solutions

SteamaCo has more than a decade of experience providing advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) to energy companies across the continent. Its flagship product, Nimbus AMI, helps users manage their networks, detect losses and enhance customer service. Meanwhile, Shyft Power Solutions entered the Nigerian market around eight years ago with its cloud-based distributed energy resource management system and diesel management solutions. Its latest metering solution, FlexView, offers enhanced reliability and allows energy consumers to monitor usage in near real-time.

Uniting the two pioneers in advanced metering solutions, the merger is expected to pave the way for rapid expansion into the grid-connected market and increased consumer reach. It comes at a critical time as regulatory changes have opened up new investment opportunities for independent power producers and utilities and the need for reliable power across the continent continues to grow in urgency.

“Our vision goes beyond delivering cutting-edge technology; it’s about transforming the energy experience of power providers and their consumers,” remarked Shyft’s CEO, Ugwem Eneyo. “Alongside our customers, we can leapfrog inefficient grids and build more intelligent, resilient infrastructure. Power plays a critical role in economic advancement and enabling sustainable cities, so catalysing digital transformation with our solutions is a part of our overall commitment to enabling smart cities and sustainable communities.”

Tom Parkinson, MD of SteamaCo, added, “This merger greatly boosts our ability to grow in African markets. By combining our advanced metering technology with Shyft’s local expertise, we can better meet our customers' specific needs. Together, we will foster innovation, improve our services, and provide effective, customised solutions to Africa's energy issues.”

Revolutionising Africa’s energy sector

The announcement was also delivered alongside the news of a new funding round led by Equator VC with participation from Praetura Ventures and KawiSafi Ventures. Collectively, these bring decades of experience investing in African and climate-tech ventures.

“This merger represents a pivotal moment in the evolution of energy management across Africa," surmised Nijhad Jamal, managing partner of Equator. “We are creating a powerhouse capable of addressing critical energy challenges. This integration will enhance the sector’s ability to deliver reliable, smart metering solutions and drive significant progress in closing the energy access gap in Africa.”

Successfully implementing PPP projects requires a nuanced understanding of financial, legal, and operational complexities. (Image source: Synergy Consulting)

Synergy Consulting explores why government and institutional clients should invest in public-private partnership (PPP) capacity building and how Synergy Academy can help

As governments and institutions seek to address complex infrastructure and service delivery challenges, Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) have emerged as a critical solution. PPPs offer a collaborative approach that leverages the expertise, efficiency, and resources of the private sector to meet public needs. However, successfully implementing PPP projects requires a nuanced understanding of financial, legal, and operational complexities. This is where capacity building becomes crucial.

Key reasons why governments and institutional clients must invest in PPP capacity building:

• Enhanced project design and implementation: PPP projects often involve long-term contracts and intricate risk-sharing arrangements. Without adequate training, public sector officials might struggle to design and implement effective partnerships. Capacity building ensures that they can develop sound project frameworks, from feasibility studies to contract management, reducing the risk of project delays or failures.

• Improved risk management: A critical component of PPPs is risk allocation between the public and private sectors. Proper capacity building equips government agencies with the skills to assess and mitigate risks associated with infrastructure projects, such as financial, operational, and regulatory risks. This enhances the chances of project success while safeguarding public interests.

• Efficient resource utilisation: PPPs aim to deliver value for money through efficient resource use. By strengthening capacity, government and institutional clients can optimise financial structuring, negotiate favorable contract terms, and ensure that public investments are used effectively.

• Sustainability and long-term benefits: A well-structured PPP contributes to sustainable development by aligning with long-term policy objectives such as economic growth, environmental conservation, and social inclusion. Capacity building ensures that public sector teams are equipped to pursue these goals, enabling projects that benefit society over the long-term.

• Strengthened institutional framework: Capacity building also helps improve the institutional frameworks within which PPPs operate. This includes enhancing regulatory environments, building cross-departmental collaboration, and developing standardised processes that can be replicated for future projects.

How Synergy Academy can help

Synergy Academy, under the banner of Synergy Consulting Infrastructure and Financial Advisory Services, offers tailored training programmes designed to empower government officials and institutional clients. Here is how Synergy Academy makes a difference in comparison with some of the traditional offerings:

• Expert-led webinars and training programmes;
• Comprehensive coverage of PPP and project finance;
• Collaboration with leading institutions;
• Building long-term institutional capacity.

This article is authored by Synergy Consulting IFA.

The Redstone plant will achieve its full capacity soon. (Image source: ACWA Power)

ACWA Power, a private water desalination company and leader in the energy transition, has confirmed that the Redstone Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plant in South Africa has reached 50MW

In a statement released on 27 October, the company announced the 50MW milestone before indicating that the facility will achieve its full, 100MW capacity in the coming days. Delivered through a collaboration with Herlogas and SEPCOIII, the project is being synchronised with South Africa’s national grid and is expected to provide clean energy to nearly 200,000 households while reducing CO2 emissions.

ACWA Power has also indicated that the Kom Ombo Photovoltaic plant in Egypt has reached its full production capacity of 200MW. It is expected to support and cater to the power needs of around 130,000 households and offset 280,000 tons of CO₂ per year.

Reinforcing Africa’s energy and water landscape

With these projects, ACWA Power has current investments of US$7bn in project costs across the continent.

“Our investments in Africa reflect our commitment to sustainable growth through strategic partnerships and leading-edge technology,” remarked Marco Arcelli, CEO of ACWA Power. “ACWA Power is not only a financial leader but also a responsible partner and a pioneer in shaping Africa’s energy and water future. We are eager to invest further where opportunities are most promising, bringing positive change to communities across the continent.”

The company harbours ambitions to triple its business size announced in 2023, leveraging its proven track record of delivering sustainable infrastructure to do so.