On Tuesday, 20 June 2023, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) joined forces with the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and the Energy Council of South Africa to establish a robust modelling capacity that will support the Just Energy Transition (JET).
As South Africa embarks on a journey towards a more sustainable and equitable energy system, renewable energy and hydrogen are taking on increasingly vital roles.
“The signing represents a significant milestone in the integration of electricity and hydrogen activities in South Africa. Through this partnership, the CSIR, TNO, and Energy Council of South Africa will engage with various stakeholders to develop scenario planning models focused on electrical and hydrogen infrastructure, as well as skills development,” explains Dr. Thabo Hlalele, CSIR Energy Centre manager.
The primary objective of this partnership is to tackle the challenge of managing complex issues by:
- Enabling the participation of diverse stakeholders in a practical, value-adding, and action-oriented manner.
- Empowering stakeholders and beneficiaries of related solutions to execute their roles and responsibilities more effectively, while benefiting from data-driven business intelligence at a significantly reduced cost due to economies of scale and integration.
- Making a positive impact on the national and regional energy transition in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and fairness.
- Supporting local and international stakeholders, including those involved with JET, to engage and align with South African stakeholders, as well as implement measures related to supporting affected communities, addressing socioeconomic aspects, and combating climate change.
Through this collaboration, the CSIR, TNO, and Energy Council of South Africa aim to explore the feasibility of establishing a collective planning and collaboration capacity in South Africa through energy simulation models. These models will provide valuable insights into scenarios for renewable energy and hydrogen developments.
The multinational relationship stems from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed earlier this year with TNO, outlining collaboration on projects of mutual interest.
Following the signing of the agreement, further discussions took place between the South African and Dutch governments, led by Minister of Public Works, Sihle Zikalala. As a result, the CSIR and TNO have agreed to sign a letter of intent (LoI) to conduct scenario modeling assessments of green hydrogen.
To strengthen the existing MoU with TNO, Dr. Thulani Dlamini, the Chief Executive Officer of the CSIR, was present at the signing of the LoI.
“The next step in this tripartite collaboration is to define a detailed scope of work and secure funding,” adds Dr. Hlalele.
