In its recently released Macroeconomic Performance and Outlook (MEO) for Africa, the African Development Bank reports that the continent will account for 11 of the world’s 20 fastest-growing economies in 2024. We all know that South Africa is lagging far behind the leaders on the continent in terms of annual economic growth, but the State of the Nation Address presented by President Ramaphosa and the Budget Review presented by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in February indicate we are perhaps closer to the turning point to return the country to a stronger growth trajectory. Central to this are holding the line on fiscal discipline, managing the country’s debt downward, and instituting reforms that will streamline the scope for public-private partnerships to accelerate the development of well-engineered infrastructure, which will, in turn, spur economic growth and job creation.
A stable electricity supply and broader industrialisation are key elements needed to support the progressive development of infrastructure and they are always in focus in Electricity + Control.
In Control systems + automation, Robert Ard of Valmet Automation sets out the advantages of batch processing software systems for specific industry sectors, the main one being that they allow for flexible process control without requiring excessive reprogramming – and that offers several spinoff benefits.
In Drives, motors + switchgear, WEG Africa alerts us to the soon-expected implementation of Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) for low voltage industrial motors in South Africa. This is a positive step that WEG Africa has long supported. It reinforces the benefits of using energy- efficient motors – for businesses, industry and the country, including lower energy costs for companies, reduced carbon footprints and less strain on the country’s national power grid.
Measurement tools are used to measure and monitor multiple factors in industry – and when checking electrical equipment, safety is a priority. In Measurement + instrumentation, Fluke, represented locally by Comtest, presents some of its thermal imaging and wireless testing tools designed to ensure safety for plant engineers and technicians monitoring electrical equipment – and particularly when they are working in potentially dangerous arc flash zones.
As power generation globally shifts towards the use of renewable energy and distributed energy resources and demand for electricity continues to grow across more sectors, the concept of grid flexibility is assuming new dimensions. Power transmission and distribution systems need to adapt and create a future-oriented flexible, optimised grid. In our feature on Transformers, substations + cables, Dwibin Thomas of Schneider Electric points to digitalisation and DER management solutions as enablers of a new level of smart grid flexibility.
USA-based NovaTech Automation outlines the possibilities and advantages that digitalisation and the virtualisation of substations present, but Jeremy Anderson, Senior VP of Product Development at NovaTech notes that while globally there is a move towards the ‘digital substation’ among larger utilities, not all utilities are ready to pull the plug on the traditional substation design quite yet.
Also presenting a practical perspective, Joe Stevenson at Doble Engineering Company, shares some insights from his longtime colleague, Blake Harris, on adopting the IEC 61850 standard (which defines communication protocols and systems for substations) and how it changes the professional journey of relay technicians. The experience among US utilities offers some helpful lessons for the power transmission and distribution sectors in South Africa, where technicians are being called on to learn new skills in a changing substation environment.
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