David Bian, Director of Huawei Digital Power Sub-Saharan Africa said on Tuesday that South Africa has to build a new power system that incorporates sustainable climate sensitive technology.
He made these comments at the the Solar and Storage Live exhibition in Johannesburg.
Bian was emphatic that the country needs to shift to green and renewable energy.
“Today, we still live in an era of carbon-based energy. In the short term, we will face the consequences of carbon emissions. And in the long term, we will face the risk of carbon resources exhaustion. The energy transition is therefore vital to the long-term development of human civilisation,” he explained.
Four key pathways
Bian argued that there are four key pathways to achieving the energy transition: decarbonisation, electrification, digitalisation, and intelligence.
He noted that the development of renewable energy is critical in decarbonising the energy sector and the “world will need to significantly ramp up renewable installation and generation”.
“Last year, renewable energy accounted for about 28% of global electricity generation. To achieve carbon neutrality, the proportion will have to reach 91% by 2050.”
Solar photovoltaic energy in particular will play a crucial role in achieving this, according to Bian.
He pointed out that the total global installed solar PV capacity increased by 24GW in 2023 and is only set to keep growing. But for solar PV to be truly effective, complementary technologies such as battery storage will also be critical.
“Electrification on the energy consumption side means that electricity will be the main energy consumed in the future. To achieve carbon neutrality, this type of electricity consumption needs to rise from 22% to 50% by 2030,” he argued.
The rise of renewables will enable the electrification of traditionally carbon-intensive industries such as agriculture, transport, and mining, and will help to bring down SA’s carbon footprint, Bian noted.
He explained that if things like tractors and trucks running on renewable produced electricity, and petrol or diesel-powered generators can be replaced with clean alternatives, that will have a positive environmental impact.
IOL BUSINESS