A team of researchers from The University of Texas at Arlington is combining several principles of machine learning to enable machines to control power networks and other complex dynamic systems more effectively during unexpected events.

Frank Lewis, the Moncrief-O’Donnell Professor of Electrical Engineering, Yan Wan and Ali Davoudi, associate professors of electrical engineering, are using a $220,000 Early-concept Grant for Exploratory Research, or EAGER, from the National Science Foundation to use real-time learning to create a unified theory on how to optimize microgrid capacity through DC distribution. Junfei Xie, an assistant professor of computer science at Texas A&M University—Corpus Christi, is assisting the team with data analysis.

Microgrid capacity in the United States is strained and DC, or direct current, distribution networks are emerging as alternatives to the current standard AC, or alternating current, networks. The networks are critical to the scalable integration of renewable energy resources and fleets of electric vehicles.

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https://phys.org/wire-news/301685623/researchers-optimize-electricity-distribution-networks.html

The government has invited China Electric Power Equipment and Technology Company Limited (CET) to assess Uganda’s electricity transmission and distribution grids.
CET’s findings will inform future investments (projects) in the networks, which are currently operated by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) and Umeme respectively.

The invite follows CET’s June 1 expression of interest to invest $3 billion (Shs11.2 trillion) in the systems to reduce technical losses and improve reliability of power supply.

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http://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/Uganda-requests-China-experts-study-electricity-grids/688616-4817364-5cedg4z/index.html

October 23 (Renewables Now) – With 182,367 MWh produced, wind accounted for 27.2% of the electricity produced in the UK on October 22, second only to combined cycle gas generation, whose share was 40.2%.

The overall electricity generation for the day stood at 669,749 MWh, data by Elexon, the Balancing and Settlement Code Company (BSCCo) show. Biomass power was 8.97% of that.

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https://renewablesnow.com/news/wind-generates-over-27-of-uk-electricity-on-oct-22-630811/

The Mozambican government has approved an integrated electricity infrastructure plan for the next 25 years. Budgeted at US $34bn, the plan will to ensure the diversification of energy sources, including hydropower, natural gas and coal.

According to Ana Comoana the Deputy of Culture and Tourism Minister, the objective of this master plan is to establish the integrated planning of electricity infrastructures, which clearly defines projections of domestic consumption needs as well as export needs.

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Mozambique approves US $34bn Integrated Master Plan for electricity infrastructure

Eskom has asked the National Energy Regulator of South Africa for 15% tariff increase per year for three years, the power utility said in a statement on Friday.
Per the request, the increases would start in 2019/20. However, Nersa has previously not granted the full tariff increases Eskom has asked for.
Nersa recently approved a 4.1% increase effective in April next year.

Earlier this month, Nersa gave the power utility four years to recover R32.69bn, having approved the liquidation of Eskom’s third multi-year price determination regulatory clearing account balances for 2014/15 to 2017/18.
In its statement, Eskom said the application was for Nersa to allow revenue of R219bn for 2019/20, R252bn for 2020/21 and R291bn for 2021/22 – a multi-year price determination 4 revenue application.

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https://www.fin24.com/Economy/eskom-applies-to-nersa-for-a-tariff-increase-20181022

State-owned electricity utility Eskom is preparing to roll out battery energy storage systems (BESS) across multiple sites as part of a replacement plan for the 100 MW Kiwano concentrated solar power (CSP) project initially approved as part of the $3.75-billion World Bank loan extended to the group in 2010.

Speaking at the SA Energy Storage 2018 conference in Gauteng on Monday, Cigre Southern Africa’s Prince Moyo, who is also an Eskom GM, confirmed that the scale of the BESS project is aligned with Kiwano’s assumed daily production rate of 1 440 MWh, or 525 GWh a year.

The replacement 360 MW/1 440 MWh BESS project is expected to involve the deployment of battery solutions ranging in size from 1 MW to 60 MW across 90 sites, with the average size of an installation to be 4 MW/16 MWh.

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http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/eskom-gearing-up-for-big-grid-scale-battery-storage-roll-out-2018-10-22

South Africa’s nuclear energy industry is unhappy with the country’s energy plans, which pave the way for renewable energy while not mentioning nuclear in the mix.In August, energy minister Jeff Radebe published the long-awaited Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2018, a 20-year energy roadmap to meet SA’s future power needs.Click HereIn 2030, the government envisages the energy mix will consist of 34 000MW of coal, representing 46% of installed capacity; 11 930MW of gas, or 16% of installed capacity; 11 442MW of wind, or 15% of installed capacity; 7 958MW of photovoltaic (PV, or solar); and 4 696MW of hydropower, or 6% of installed capacity.

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https://www.itweb.co.za/content/xnklOvzbO64v4Ymz

(MENAFN – The Conversation) There’s a lively debate raging in South Africa about the extent to which renewables should replace coal, particularly given the threat of climate change. The country’s electricity supply is currently highly dependent on coal. While it’s clear that coal power won’t disappear any time soon, is a 100% renewables-driven electricity generation scenario feasible – and desirable – in a generation from now.

A major global energy transition is redefining the way electricity is generated and supplied. In the past, electricity production was dominated by large and often polluting power mega-plants distributed through big power lines. But the trend is now towards small-scale units primarily feeding localised electricity networks.

These changes are being been driven by powerful factors. Firstly, there’s the grave threat of climate change which is being caused, to a significant degree, by the emission from coal power stations.

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https://menafn.com/1097603655/Why-South-Africa-cant-make-a-massive-shift-to-renewablesyet

Scientists have developed a ‘solar flow battery’ that combines both a solar cell and a battery that can efficiently store sunlight as chemical energy for later on-demand use.

The device could be especially useful in making electricity more accessible in remote regions of the world, the developers said.

In order to keep solar energy practical for 24/7 use, it must be stored. Normally this takes two devices, a solar cell and a battery. The solar flow battery is designed to perform like both.

“Compared with separated solar energy conversion and electrochemical energy storage devices, combining the functions of separated devices into a single, integrated device could be a more efficient, scalable, compact and cost-effective approach to utilising solar energy,” said Song Jin, a professor of chemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

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https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2018/09/solar-flow-battery-captures-sunlight-to-provide-electricity-in-remote-areas/

According to EIA’s international electricity statistics, hydroelectric and fossil fuel-powered generation were the top sources of growth between 2005 and 2015 in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), defined as the 49 countries fully or partially south of the Sahara Desert. During that period, hydroelectric generation increased by about 40% in the region, while fossil fuel-powered generation increased by 15%. SSA electricity generation totaled about 420 billion kilowatthours (kWh) in 2015, including distribution losses and exported electricity, an increase of 22% during the decade.

Most of this growth occurred in nations other than South Africa. Although South Africa accounted for more than half of all generation in the region in 2015, its electricity generation only grew 1% during the previous decade. South Africa primarily uses fossil fuels for electricity generation, and bituminous coal accounted for more than 90% of its domestic electricity generation between 2005 and 2015, according to the International Energy Agency.

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https://oilvoice.com/Opinion/23002/Hydro-and-Fossil-Fuels-Power-Electricity-Growth-in-SubSaharan-Africa