As part of the federal-state programme, a mini-grid has been developed in the pilot community of Upper Blinkwater in the Eastern Cape in cooperation with Lower Saxony since 2017. Based on a feasibility study and a basic survey on energy requirements, willingness to pay, possible operator models and a possible institutional anchoring of the investment, the system (PV system and energy grid) was procured and installed in Upper Blinkwater. After completion of the power grid, 67 households will have access to electricity. At the same time, a fair, sustainable and simple operator model is being developed with the participation of the village community. In addition, a monitoring system is being set up by the German Aerospace Center Institute of Networked Energy Systems in cooperation with local scientific institutions. The data will be used to transfer the experience gained from the pilot project in Upper Blinkwater to other regions in South Africa. Due to the special characteristics of the mini
Grid as a pilot project, the UNDP-funded South African Wind Energy Programme (SAWEP) has decided to attach a wind component to the mini-grid in Upper Blinkwater in order to measure the effects of wind energy in a delimited energy system.
The local capacities for the maintenance and operation of mini-grids are not yet sufficient, but are necessary to ensure the long-term use of the mini-grid.
The project objective is therefore to strengthen the technical skills and knowledge for the operation and maintenance of decentralised, renewable energy systems in the Eastern Cape.
You may find the project summary and lessons learned in this brochure.