System adequacy in South Africa with increasing levels of renewable energy

Ea Energy Analyses, along with EOH Enerweb, DTU and Energinet, was involved in a project titled “Strategy about System Adequacy and Reserve Margin with Increasing Levels of Variable Generation”. The project assessed the effects of increasing levels of penetration of renewables on the system adequacy and reserve margins of the South African grid.

Ea Energy Analyses was the lead on the project component on stochastic analysis of system adequacy, deploying the SisyfosR model – which was further developed and improved specifically for this project. During the course of the project, scenarios for the South African power system in the SisyfosR model framework were explored, assessing how system adequacy and the need for reserves may develop in the future, addressing the geographical distribution of the renewables, the load, and the transmission grid. Input to the analysis of costs of ensuring system adequacy was also obtained as a part of the study.

In addition to the consultancy tasks, Ea Energy Analyses was also involved in knowledge transfer and capacity-building of the relevant Eskom and DOE experts. Fully functional copies of SisyfosR software were shared with the South African counterparts of the project, along with training in the use thereof.