GEORGE NEWS - The George Municipality’s move to explore alternative energy-generating sources is gaining impetus with a partnership between the municipality and private electricity trading company Enpower Trading.
George Mayor Leon van Wyk and the municipality’s electrotechnical services team attended a Wheeling and Trading Symposium hosted by Enpower Trading at the Hawthorn Boutique Hotel on Wednesday 8 February.
Energy wheeling is the delivery of electricity generated by a private operator in one location to a buyer or off-taker in another location via a third-party network (utility or municipality).
George Municipality intends to do wheeling services to explore available energy sources, steering them towards the municipal grid while also looking at a cheaper cost of electricity than Eskom’s current cost.
With all the privately generated energy coming into the grid, the municipality hopes to lessen reliance on Eskom and become energy secure.
From left: Gerjo Hoffman (CEO and co-founder at Open Access Energy), Phillip van Niekerk (Enpower Trading), Mzimkhulu Thebolla (mayor of Msunduzi Municipality), Leon van Wyk (mayor of George), Bongani Mandla (director of electrotechnical services – George Municipality), Jeandre van Zyl (Solar Energy Africa), Josh Dippenaar (Sustainable Energy Africa) and Jemaine Cupido (Bitou Municipality).
Countrywide interest
The speakers and panellists were Phillip van Niekerk of Enpower Trading, Jeandre van Zyl of Solar Energy Africa, Gerjo Hoffman of Open Access Energy, Josh Dippenaar of Sustainable Energy Africa, Nhlanhla Ngidi of Salga, Bernhard Teuteberg of Dedat Western Cape and Jemaine Cupido of Bitou Municipality.
The symposium attracted representatives from the energy sector and companies from George and other parts of the country, municipalities from the Garden Route District such as Mossel Bay, Bitou, Oudtshoorn, Hessequa and Knysna, as well as municipalities outside the district such as Swellendam Municipality, Nelson Mandela Bay Metro (Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape), and the mayor of Msunduzi Municipality (Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal), Mzimkhulu Thebolla.
Read more on sister publication, George Herald
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