Strategic adviser Dr Willie de Beer received the 2016 South African National Energy Association (Sanea) Energy Award in recognition of his ongoing contribution to the local energy sector.
The awards recognise South Africans and their efforts in ensuring that the country enjoys a stable and secure energy future, by promoting the research and innovation sectors.
“It is important for all of us to stretch the boundaries. If South Africa is to be recognised as a leading country, we have to go beyond the range of normal expectations.
“Through exceptional performance we can demonstrate what is possible; we can set the standard for a new reality that will deliver social and economic development,” Sanea chairperson Brian Statham said.
Two companies walked away with the Sanea Energy Project Award - Acwa Power Solafrica Bokpoort as well as Unlimited Energy and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL).
Acwa was recognised for its concentrated solar thermal power plant project, which was part of round two of government’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme, owing to a change in the plant’s design, enabling it to operate as a baseload facility, and the successful manner in which the socioeconomic commitments of the project are being met.
Unlimited Energy and LBNL were recognised for their collaboration, which resulted in legislation being passed by the Department of Trade and Industry in March, capping the standing losses for a 150 ℓ geyser over a 24-hour period at 1.38 kWh (from 2.59 kWh).
This will save 3.82 TWh of electricity by 2030 as a conservative estimate. One terawatt-hour is equal to the sustained power of 114 MW for a period of one year.
In the Energy Education category, Siyazisiza Trust rural economic development officer Mfundo Mahlase was acknowledged for his work as a climate change agent. He educates rural and impoverished communities around energy conservation and management.
The Eskom Power Plant Engineering Institute at the University of Cape Town was highly commended in this category.
In the field of renewable energy, Vuselela Energy received the 2016 Renewable Energy Centre of Research and Development (Record) Renewable Energy Research Excellence (Rere) Commercial Application Award in recognition of the novel adaptation of technology used to generate electricity from geothermal heat sources.
Through its Eternity power thermal harvesting at Anglo American Platinum’s Waterval smelting complex, near Rustenburg, Vuselela captures waste heat from the converter cooling circuit to generate up to 4.3 MW of clean electricity, which is used by the Waterval smelter for its internal power consumption.
Imke Meyer was presented the 2016 Record Rere Young Researcher Award. She studied the Agulhas current as a potential source for renewable energy for her Masters in Engineering (MEng), which she completed cum laude while she was employed as a research engineer at Stellenbosch University.
This work has also led to a publication in a peer reviewed international journal while completing her MEng degree. Besides her MEng studies, Meyer is also involved in a number of other renewable-energy projects including the development of an online-based tool to prospect for wind energy sites in KwaZulu-Natal, as well as making a contribution to the feasibility study for a rooftop pholtovoltaic installation at the V&A Waterfront, in Cape Town.