Meeting 100% of South Africa’s Electricity Demand: a Power Systems Model Analysis

South Africa has struggled with meeting electricity demands since 2007. As a result, loadshedding, or purposeful power brownouts, were initiated to avoid complete grid failure. While the state-run utility authority Eskom effectively ended load shedding in March of 2024, increased utility prices decreased electricity access. Currently, 13.5% of South Africans, or over 8.5 million individuals, lack access to electricity. There has been significant evidence that electricity access is a major economic driver, and a critical adaptation measure for forecasted climate change impacts. This project utilizes a power systems model calibrated with Eskom Data to simulate how photovoltaic solar, battery storage, open cycle gas turbines, and nuclear energy can be used to meet the electricity needs of the remaining portion of the population. Scenarios modeled account for South Africa’s emissions reduction goals, and the feasible limitations of each generation source.