The municipality of Mossel Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape province has initiated an infrastructure plan that incorporates renewable energy sources such as solar power to counter the impact of load shedding.
According to the Western Cape government, local governments are playing a crucial role in addressing the energy crisis and safeguarding essential services from persistent power blackouts.
Executive Mayor Dirk Kotze of Mossel Bay recently attended the 19th Energy Digicon hosted by Western Cape Premier Alan Winde, where he discussed both immediate and long-term strategies to maintain critical services for residents during load shedding.
Mossel Bay’s load-shedding strategies include:
- Installing LED bulbs in streetlights and introducing solar lighting at public ablution facilities.
- Incorporating solar geysers into new housing projects.
- Developing a rooftop solar strategy.
- Planning a 30MW solar plant.
- Exploring gas-to-power projects in collaboration with PetroSA, aiming to generate approximately 180MW of gas-produced power.
The municipality is taking steps to install three generators, funded by the Western Cape government, to ensure essential services continue during load shedding.
Among significant projects, Mossel Bay is investing in mini-grids situated near municipal infrastructure, utilizing hybrid-solar photovoltaic (PV) systems to generate 1MW of power.
Western Cape Premier Winde emphasized the ongoing support and resources provided to municipalities, aiming to improve daily life for residents in the face of blackouts.
Additionally, the provincial government plans to distribute load-shedding kits to indigent households to mitigate the impact of power cuts, particularly on students’ study conditions. Over 400,000 of these kits will soon be distributed across the province to assist vulnerable households.
