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Powering cities with renewable energy
SPECIAL FEATURE Powering cities with renewable energy
A shift in policy will promote small-scale generation.
South Africa’s successful Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has created large-scale solar and wind farms in areas where there is lots of space, but the country’s smallest province by landmass is also taking big strides to procure energy from renewable sources.
Gauteng is the country’s most densely populated area (with a population of over 14-million) and contributes about a third of South Africa’s GDP (R1.59-trillion in 2017). In a short space of time, an entirely new sector has been created within the South African economy through legislation that invited local and foreign investors to bid for and then build renewable energy generation plants. South Africa’s National Development Plan (NDP) requires 20 000MW of renewable energy by 2030. That will be achieved mainly through the REIPPPP.
Many companies and institutions are generating their own power. In Johannesburg, the Northern Wastewater Treatment Works, the largest of six wastewater plants serving the city, has its own electricity source in a 1.1MW biogas plant. It produces electricity using cogeneration (combined heat and power) and is helping the city to reduce expenditure on its water treatment works, which used to run to R100-million per year.
A landfill site at Robinson Deep in Johannesburg has started generating 3MW of gas. This is the first of five renewable energy projects that Energy Systems SA is going to do in Johannesburg and is the first landfill gas generation project to fall under the REIPPPP.
Agriculture is another source of organic waste which is being used to provide power. With thousands of cattle farmed near big cities to provide beef and dairy products, biogas is a useful byproduct. The Bronkhorstspruit Biogas Plant, run by Bio2Watt, has an installed capacity of 4.6MW which it produces from annual feedstock of about 120 000 tons of organic waste. The plant is located in the Tshwane Metropolitan area on the premises of Beefcor, one of South Africa’s largest feedlots. The image of the feedlot and plant (below) is supplied by Danish company Combigas who teamed up with Bosch Projects to design, manufacture and install the plant.
The company has plans to roll out small plants for farmers or agri-processors who want to produce power for themselves.
National power regulator NERSA has been asked by the National Minister of Mineral Resources to consider granting licences to smallscale power producers to sell any excess power. The likely granting of these licences will open up the market and help small manufacturers to cover the cost of installing generating capacity.
At the Cavalier abattoir in Cullinan, biowaste conversion company ibert provides about a quarter of the power that the abattoir needs to function, at a competitive rate. In the process, all of the facility’s biowaste is disposed of.
Solar power
Absa Bank has followed up on its decision to take its central Johannesburg campus off the national electricity grid. Investments in a 6 000-panel rooftop solar system (which cost R10-million), the synchronisation of gas and diesel generators and sophisticated water and underfloor heating systems have all contributed to massive energy savings. The bank estimates that the power it generates is 70% cleaner than that provided by the national grid.
The rooftop solar installation at Absa’s Pretoria office provides 17% of its electricity needs and the bank intends rolling out solar solutions for another five offices soon in addition to investigating battery solutions in pursuit of what it calls “net zero offices”.
One of the biggest roofs in South Africa is to get one of the largest solar installations. Mall of Africa (pictured above), a joint venture by Attacq and Atterbury in Waterfall City, Midrand, will produce about 7 800MWh/y from panels on 45 000m² of roof space.
Vukile Property Fund has decided to equip all of the malls in its portfolio with rooftop solar panels. Among its properties are malls in Boksburg and Soweto. The company says that installations across the group have the capacity to generate 1.274MW of solar energy, generating about 2 089MWh annually. Retrofitting of light fittings has also taken place, to improve energy efficiency.
Local manufacturing
In 2016 the Department of Trade and Industry (dti) established a Gas Industrialisation Unit (GIU) which will make plans to exploit the huge fields of natural gas off the coasts of Mozambique and Angola and boost industrialisation in South Africa.
At the end of the annual Windaba conference in Cape Town in 2018, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) issued a Commitment Statement which noted that the REIPPP has a “built-in demand for local procurement”, not only offering business opportunities to local companies, but also incentivising the industry to identify and support emerging entrepreneurs. This should have a positive spinoff in Gauteng province, which is the centre of the country’s manufacturing sector.
Meet the Nedbank Gauteng Sales leadership team
In line with our new brand proposition, our leadership team and staff are made up of money experts whose goal is to help clients ‘see money differently’ and enable them to reach their goals.
Dave Schwegmann Divisional Executive: Client Network - Northern Division
Brigitte Ryder Provincial General Manager: Gauteng North Mawande Shugu Provincial General Manager: Gauteng Central
At Nedbank we believe that money has the infinite capacity for good, if you understand the true nature of it.
We know that money well managed can make a real difference in people’s lives.
And we always take it seriously. For us, being ‘good with money’ means looking at it differently.
Finding new and better ways to grow it, invest it, leverage it and manage it for the greater benefit of
Pedro Rhode Provincial General Manager: Gauteng East Salim Kadoo Provincial General Manager: Tshwane Province
individuals, businesses and communities. We believe our real reason for being should be using our money expertise to do good, by inspiring you to make better choices with your money.
We believe that when we apply our expertise and, more importantly, use it to help you see the effect your money can have, you will experience the difference between money being money and money making a difference.
Making it easier to do business with Nedbank Whole-view Business Banking™
Brigitte Ryder, Nedbank Provincial General Manager of Retail and Business Banking, Gauteng North, says her team is ready to assist clients with a comprehensive range of financial products and services.
‘We believe you need a financial partner who has a deeper understanding of your business – someone who offers innovative, relevant solutions and who gives you a banking experience that is hassle-free. As money experts, we are committed to doing good, so you can concentrate on what’s most important to you – running your business,’ says Ryder. Nedbank’s goal is to have all service offerings and departments under one roof, making it easier to deliver on its new brand proposition to ‘see money differently’. Nedbank recognises that you have a full range of banking needs that go beyond transacting and borrowing. That is why its dedicated team of specialists partner with you to give you a bird’s-eye view of your business and a different perspective on
Our expertise will help clients navigate challenges and meet their goals
Brigitte Ryder prides herself on building relationships and understanding the needs of clients, saying that partnership- and relationship-based banking is a key driver of how Nedbank conducts its business to ensure clients benefit from its money expertise.
how your money needs to flow to meet your goals. We look forward to continuing our relationships with our valued existing clients, and to offering our value proposition to new clients as well. At the core of our offering in Gauteng North is a relationship-based model with a business manager dedicated to your business as your key point of entry to the bank. We encourage you to see money differently with Wholeview Business Banking™ from Nedbank, and to take advantage of our one-stop banking service.
To take your business to the next level or to obtain more information about Nedbank’s specialised service offering call Brigitte Ryder on +27 (0)11 294 7520, send an email to brigitter@nedbank.co.za or visit www.nedbank.co.za.
Our money experts are available to provide professional advice
Nozizwe Tshabuse, Nedbank Provincial General Manager, Gauteng East, explains how Nedbank can help business owners in the region.
There is good news for Gauteng business owners and entrepreneurs seeking a unique banking experience: Nedbank Business Banking has business managers located across the province specialising in commercial industries as well as the agricultural sector. Nedbank also offers innovative and relevant solutions to franchisees, incorporating customised lending solutions, transactional banking solutions and value-added services.
Our tailored solutions take franchisees’ current and future goals into consideration, and aim to assist franchises in attaining the competitive edge needed to succeed. A dedicated business manager gives franchise owners the opportunity to have an experienced financial expert as a partner in your business. Our money experts at Nedbank Business Banking are ready to assist you with professional advice, industry-specific solutions and a comprehensive range of financial products and services.
At the core of Nedbank’s offering in the province is a relationship-based model with a business manager dedicated to your business as the key point of entry into the bank.
‘We encourage you to see money differently with Whole-view Business Banking™,’ explains Tshabuse. What does this mean for the client? It is an additional benefit of banking with Nedbank Business Banking and means that your business and your personal financial needs are managed in one place. ‘Because business owners and their businesses are very often financially dependent on each other, our client service teams now also offer individual banking solutions to you and your staff because we already know and understand your needs,’ says Tshabuse.
With this in mind, Nedbank has seamless offerings for you, your employees and your household. Through Nedbank’s workplace banking offering, communities, including individual and business clients, are provided with access to products and services through a dedicated banker.
Should you be interested in taking your business to the next level and improving staff engagement, please call Nozizwe Tshabuse on +27 (0)11 458 4405, send an email to nozizwet@nedbank.co.za or visit www.nedbank.co.za.
Expertise in small business aimed at stimulating growth
Linda Mbambo, Nedbank Provincial General Manager, Gauteng Central, explains how Nedbank is committed to partnering with businesses for growth.
‘Small businesses are the lifeblood of our economy. Nedbank has, over the years, instituted various interventions aimed at giving support to the small-business sector. Over and above our small-business services solutions, we provide small-business owners with support that goes beyond banking, freeing up their time to focus on running their businesses,’ says Mbambo.
Nedbank has built a solid reputation as a bank for small businesses through initiatives such as Vote Small Business, which calls on everyone to make a conscious decision to support small businesses with their hearts, feet and wallets; the SimplyBiz.co.za platform where business owners can network and engage with other business owners, ask questions and spark discussions; the Small Business Index™ which provides key insights and trends on smallbusiness behaviour and the challenges that small businesses face; and the new Essential Guide for Small-business Owners, which helps small businesses understand and handle the complexities of starting and running a business. In addition, business registration services are available in branch through SwiftReg or by applying online through CIPC.
At Nedbank Business Banking we believe that you need a financial partner who understands your aspirations, offers relevant solutions and gives you a banking experience that is hassle-free. We are committed to doing good, so you can concentrate on what’s most important to you – running your business.
Nedbank is making it easier to deliver on our new brand proposition – ‘see money differently’ – through our Whole-view Business Banking™ which provides us with a bird’s-eye view of your business and therefore enables us to offer solutions and services aimed at giving your business the edge in challenging economic times.
Speak to the money experts at Nedbank Business Banking if you are interested in taking your business to the next level or want to find out more about our specialised service offering. Contact Linda Mbambo on +27 (0)11 671 7149, email the Business Banking team at business@nedbank.co.za or visit www.nedbank.co.za.
Mohammed (Salim) Kadoo, Nedbank Provincial General Manager, Tshwane and North West, explains how the new brand values build on the expertise of the bank to benefit clients.
The new brand positioning is built on Nedbank’s purpose: to use financial expertise to enable individuals, families, businesses and society to do good. Our new brand proposition was born after almost two years of research and client engagement which revealed that people want to work with purpose-driven institutions they can trust. They want a professional financial partner that balances expertise with a genuine commitment to do good. The public will see a number of changes in the next few months as the bank evolves its corporate identity, advertising and communication campaigns, as well as its products, services and channels. All these changes are designed to inspire clients and society to see money differently and partner with the bank to achieve their goals.
Our new brand proposition is not just a marketing initiative, but a reflection of the continuing business evolution at Nedbank. As a bank we want to ensure that our clients experience our brand in a way that is
Nedbank officially launched its new brand repositioning during the first day of the world’s largest design festival – the 2017 Design Indaba on 1 March. The bank’s new tagline challenges clients and society to ‘see money differently’.
aligned with our brand promise. It is common knowledge that we live in a volatile socioeconomic environment, so it is even more important for us to intensify our commitment to improve on our skill in enabling clients to navigate challenges and meet their goals.
One of the solutions from Nedbank is Whole-view Business Banking™, which provides a bird’s-eye view of clients’ businesses, and a different perspective on how their money needs to flow to meet their needs. With our expertise and insights we can help our clients to see money as we do, so that together we can cocreate unique solutions that can unlock the possibilities that will take their business to the next level.
If you would like to explore further how Business Banking can help take your business to the next level, and for more information about Nedbank Retail and Business Banking Services, call Mohammed (Salim) Kadoo on +27 (0)12 436 7740 or send an email to mohammedk@nedbank.co.za.
