A rapid overhaul of global energy systems is critical to contain the climate crisis – with the renewable energy sector will play a central role, but without squandering public trust by fuelling further harms to people and planet. However, the 2023 Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark, published today (15 November 2023), found that while the sector has made progress in adopting broad human rights policies, it falls woefully short in addressing critical human rights risks and harms.

Published by the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, the Benchmark assessed and scored the human rights policies and practices of 28 leading companies across the renewable energy supply chain, including wind and solar project developers, oil and gas companies entering into renewables, and wind turbine and solar panel manufacturers. Although there has been some progress in the adoption of broad human rights policies by the sector, it is far from ready to deliver a fast and fair transition that builds public support and delivers shared benefit.

Instead, the 2023 Benchmark highlights notable gaps between policy and practice, and dangerous shortcomings regarding Indigenous Peoples’ rights, land rights, and forced labour, in particular. Time is of the essence to reverse these trends if the renewable energy sector is to avoid the same risks and abuse that plagues the traditional energy industry.

Key findings from the 2023 Renewable Energy & Human Rights Benchmark included:

• All companies scored poorly (an average of 1%) in respect of their responses to all serious human rights allegations included in the Benchmark.
• Policies and practices on Indigenous Peoples’ rights and land rights remain poor, despite these rights being the subject of the highest number of serious allegations.
• No company currently publicly discloses its full solar panel supply chain, resulting in scores of 0% across the board for this indicator.
• Solar panel manufacturers lag significantly on human rights commitments and practices compared with wind energy equipment manufacturers.
• In examples of better practice, eight companies have policies in place specifically to respect the rights of environmental defenders, showing progress of the sector at policy level in a critical area.

Overall, the Benchmark revealed clear frontrunners among the 28 companies assessed, who are demonstrating what is possible by the renewable energy sector. These efforts must be supported by smart government regulation and incentives, alongside investor engagement, to level the playing field and ensure the renewable energy sector secures public trust and avoids harms to communities and workers.

Phil Bloomer, Executive Director, Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said, “This benchmark is a loud wake-up call to this critical sector. It highlights the risks companies are generating for themselves, workers, communities and the urgent transition to clean energy. Leading companies are beginning to get their house in order and demonstrate that building public trust by creating shared prosperity and avoiding abuse is both profitable and a moral imperative. But the many laggard companies need to urgently change key aspects of their business model if they seek stable and cooperative investment environments with communities and workers. Their long-term profits, and the fate of our planet, depend on decisive action.

“Unsustainable inequality is, arguably, the single greatest obstacle to a fast transition. Well-designed clean energy transitions will ensure communities and workers feel direct benefit and lend public trust. But without responsible business conduct, there is a profound danger the distribution of benefits are skewed to the wealthy and powerful, and the costs and risks to the majority and vulnerable.”

Caroline Avan, author of the report and Senior Researcher at the Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, said: “While we have identified several key areas of progress by the sector, the Benchmark highlights that the pace of change by industry must now increase rapidly. As is, the gap between policy and practice is simply too large. The broad range of scores recorded highlights profound differences in performance between leaders and laggards – but also that company prioritisation of human rights is both possible and profitable.

“Building public support also means companies must be transparent on the toughest issues the sector is facing – including forced labour. This requires departing from business-as-usual approaches and pursuing assertive, corrective action, like solar supply chain transparency. The energy transition also offers unique opportunities for the most progressive companies willing to co-construct the sector with local communities and Indigenous groups to generate sustainable shared prosperity.”

As global exploration intensifies the drive for resources to service the energy transition, the first DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum was held in Kinshasa to consider how to leverage the emerging opportunities.

Dominique Sambwa, chairman of SRK Consulting Congo, was present at the event with SRK colleagues from the Lubumbashi office as well as from SRK’s South Africa and China practices. Sambwa highlighted that a key focus of the forum was on the downstream beneficiation potential for the region, which DRC and Zambia hope to exploit through a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). DRC and Zambia produce over 70% of the world’s cobalt and 10% of global copper. According to the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa, the two countries are in a unique position to move from exporters of raw materials to becoming manufacturers of battery precursors – the material at the final step before becoming a cathode.

Collaboration

“It is encouraging to see the collaboration of governments at this level,” said Sambwa. “There is much interest in the outcome of the prefeasibility study which is underway to consider battery manufacturing in a SEZ shared by DRC and Zambia.”

He said there was little doubt that the presence of mineral resources like copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel made the region a focus of attention for the energy transition. However, the forum highlighted that there was still a great deal to be done in preparing the way for the necessary mining and industrial investment.

“The SEZ could provide the necessary impetus to put certain conditions in place so that key investors could be attracted to initiate the process towards battery manufacturing,” he said.

Resources identified

According to Lindsay Shand, associate partner and principal environmental geologist at SRK Consulting, a number of resource areas for lithium have been identified, with large mining organisations already involved at different stages of the permitting and mining process.

“The resource potential and mining aspects are fairly well known, and there are certainly opportunities to pursue,” said Shand. “Delegates at the forum raised the need for the DRC government to improve services and amend tax laws to encourage mining and associated industries. Delegates and presenters at the forum motivated for the government to make access to industry easier, and to provide greater incentive for investment in the DRC.”

Pengfei Xiao, managing director of SRK China, explained that SRK was already assisting clients with managing their exploration standards in relatively new mining areas like Manono, and was also guiding them on environmental, social and governance (ESG)  aspects. The forum had reiterated the importance of international standards to ensure that benefits of mining can flow through to local communities.

Green value chain

She said mining company representatives at the forum also considered the green value chain, highlighting the need to re-establish hydroelectric power generation units to allow for the use of green energy in the mining process.

“Presenters representing mining houses commented on the need to support the agricultural sector to grow more food for increased numbers of staff in mines and associated industries,” she said. “There was also a focus on how the DRC could develop skills to support mineral processing and battery manufacturing – and the need to improve revenue generation through secondary and tertiary manufacturing activities.”

Sending signals

Xiao said the forum sent a strong signal from the DRC government that the country wanted to build in-country capability for battery manufacture. The event was a useful opportunity for stakeholders to highlight what needed to be done to make this possible.

“Among the main areas discussed was energy generation, infrastructure improvements and new policies and laws,” said Xiao. “It was an important beginning to what will be a long process, but the delegates were able to start discussing the main concepts.”

He noted that the mining and industrial developments envisaged during these discussions would all need to be planned and implemented in alignment with international standards – in a range of fields from mineral exploration, water management and ESG considerations. The SRK Congo office is already working closely with SRK South Africa and SRK China to share capacity and collaborate on DRC projects. Sambwa concurred that ESG would be a central aspect of the future developments.

Effective governance

“Governance really matters,” he said. “SRK is making our expertise available, to work closely wherever possible with governments and other players in paving the way for effective and transparent governance.”

With the battery metals space being, by its nature, oriented towards green energy and electric vehicles, Shand noted that it made sense for DRC and the region to work towards renewable sources of power, as part of ensuring that mining operations could operate with lower carbon emissions.

“The ESG aspects of battery metals mining and battery manufacturing therefore should be emphasised in policy and practice by stakeholders,” she said.

Hydro-power

Sambwa noted that the DRC has an installed capacity of more than 2 500 MW of hydro-electric power and in 2020 has produced more than 12 300 GWh, but with about 15% of electrification rate the country remained short of an equivalent amount despite an estimated potential capacity to produce 100 000 MW on the Congo River.

“Government is encouraging mining companies to help establish hydro-power sources,” he said. “However, while there are some areas where small hydro schemes from 50-100 MW could be feasible, these are often inaccessible or too far from the national grid.”

Need for strategy and sustainability

Andrew van Zyl, managing director of SRK South Africa, noted how the discussions were aligned with conferences and fora around the world. Globally, companies and other stakeholders are discussing how to mine materials that facilitate an energy transition and a move to sustainability while becoming more sustainable themselves.

SRK has been involved in facilitating discussions on what responsible sourcing means to different stakeholders in different regions. We are increasingly helping clients integrate their various strategic imperatives, including responsible sourcing, supply chain development and auditing, localisation, water stewardship, decarbonisation and continuing their focus on health, safety and human rights prerogatives.

Progress is being made on these complex, interrelated activities and this will benefit local communities. Mining companies for example promise to be a catalyst for development of renewable energy supply chains in new areas that are power hungry and also to facilitate development of infrastructure and agriculture to support these new operations. Importantly, mining companies are improving their ability to identify, quantify and mitigate the externalities associated with new operations.

The African energy sector is experiencing a transformative shift with a growing recognition of the essential role women play in driving sustainable energy solutions, innovation, and economic development. The annual Africa Energy Indaba, a leading advocate for diversity and inclusion in the energy industry, is proud to support and champion the vital role of women in shaping the future of Africa’s energy landscape.

Despite the traditionally male-dominated nature of the energy sector, African women have increasingly been breaking barriers, making significant contributions, and leading positive change in various aspects of the industry. The roles for women in the African energy sector are as diverse as they are impactful, including:

• Leadership and Innovation: African women are taking on leadership positions in energy companies, government agencies, and organisations, driving innovation and advancing clean energy solutions. Their expertise in areas like renewable energy, sustainability, and energy policy is instrumental in shaping a more sustainable and inclusive energy future.
• Community Engagement: Women play a crucial role in engaging and empowering local communities to embrace clean energy solutions, promoting awareness, education, and local participation in energy projects. This community-focused approach ensures the successful implementation of energy initiatives while supporting grassroots development.
• Entrepreneurship: African women are increasingly becoming entrepreneurs in the energy sector, establishing and leading their own clean energy businesses, including solar, wind, and bioenergy projects. Their entrepreneurial endeavours not only contribute to economic growth but also provide solutions to energy access challenges in underserved areas.
• Research and Development: Women are actively involved in energy research and development, pioneering technologies and practices that contribute to energy efficiency, environmental sustainability, and energy security in Africa.

The Africa Energy Indaba recognises the importance of gender diversity and is committed to fostering an inclusive work environment, promoting equal opportunities, and encouraging women to pursue careers in the energy sector. The event provides a platform for women to engage, learn, explore business opportunities and partnerships aimed at empowering women to take on leadership roles in energy.  Further supporting women in the African Energy Sector, a formal business breakfast will be hosted on the 6^th March 2024, to provide key industry insights to women keen to access the African energy opportunity.

Liz Hart, Managing Director of the Africa Energy Indaba, commented on the significance of women in the African energy sector, stating, “The African energy landscape is undergoing a profound transformation, and women are at the forefront of this positive change. Their contributions are essential in achieving sustainable, reliable, and affordable energy solutions across the continent. We are proud to support and amplify their voices in the industry.”

By empowering women in the African energy sector, the Africa Energy Indaba is helping to address critical energy challenges while simultaneously advancing gender equality and driving economic development.

A bespoke end-to-end switchgear and circuit breaker solution from ABB Electrification is powering up a new mining plant in West Africa looking to significantly reduce emissions via the use of renewable energy.

Tasiast 24k in Mauritania, operated by Canadian gold/silver giant Kinross, has recently increased capacity to 24,000 tonnes of gold per day while reducing costs. To help meet their sustainability targets an integrated PV solar plant has been finalized – with power generation capacity of 34 MW and a battery system of 18 MW –  to provide around 20 percent of the site’s power.

The Tasiast solar project is expected to reduce GHG emissions by approximately 530 kt over the life of the mine, which could save approximately 180 million litres of fuel over the same period. The new scheme is also contributing to the Government of Mauritania’s GHG reduction targets in the country.

Long standing ABB partner Voltalia, based in Portugal, was tasked with the systems integration and value chain of the new project. Despite already being covered for protection relays, IED and energy meters, the main MV switchgear required integration in the Low Voltage Compartment (LVC) and interoperability with other devices from different manufacturers, so that all components operated in conjunction, complementing each other functions and meeting all customer demands.

Subsequently, ABB specified 15 SF6-free and robust UniGear ZS2 air insulated switchgear panels. These offer additional benefits such as a smaller footprint, easy maintenance and assembly, plus withdrawable voltage transformer. The solution also included 13 of ABB’s  market leading VD4 vacuum circuit breakers – there are more than 2 million in active operation globally – which minimize maintenance and costly downtime, increase safety and provide primary and secondary protection guarantees.

Jeremy Martin, Project Manager at Voltalia SA, said: “Working with ABB on the Tasiast solar project was again a good experience. ABB’s technical expertise played a key role in achieving our objectives for this project. Working alongside a committed partner like ABB reinforces our belief that collaboration can bring about real change.”

Crucially, ABB technology manages compact dimensions free of SF6 insulating gas in the switchgear or the circuit breaker – without compromising performance, safety or reliability – which was a key differentiator for both Voltalia and Kinross.

With the relays taking up significant space and having to be fitted within the confines of the LVC door, without interfering with the wiring and other components, the ZS2’s footprint flexibility proved ideal. For extra features protection, ABB also integrated two relays in one panel and the Relion RED615, with its superior line differential protection and control for incomer units, complemented the functionality required and fitted in the tight LVC door front access.

Nuno Nunes, Sales Engineer at ABB Portugal, added: “The mining industry is committed to reducing its emissions and integrating more renewable energy sources, so it was great to be involved in this innovative project, which uses our space-saving and SF6-free switchgear and circuit breakers to help provide continuous power supply for the new solar plant to operates at peak levels.”

Nida Deveci, Sales Manager and UGUR ACAR Project Manager for ABB Turkey, explained “The factory acceptance test (FAT) with our partner Voltalia was successful at the first attempt and proved that the collaboration and understanding was clear and good from the offset. They were very pleased with the speed of our responses and appreciated the technical revisions and adjustments we brought to the table to complete the process satisfactorily for all concerned parties.”

South Africa generates approximately 85% of its energy from coal. The national power utility, Eskom, can generate up to 45,000 megawatts per hour. Still, it has been unable to supply even 27,000 MWh, giving rise to power cuts or load-shedding that can last several hours a day.

According to the latest news, load-shedding has cost South Africa 1.2 trillion rands since its inception and has considerably increased the cost of doing business. Households and businesses are now without power for up to 10 hours daily because of load-shedding, which leaves business owners and citizens discouraged. “The country is in a dire situation due to the lack of generation availability”, said Mervyn Naidoo, CEO of ACTOM.

One of the most tangible effects of load shedding to everyday business owners is the extra amount they pay each month to maintain standard operational levels – whether installing solar, UPSes or fuelling large-scale diesel generators.

With South African businesses and industries feeling discouraged, ACTOM’s market-leading technology and advanced products are perfectly positioned to address the issues facing the electro-mechanical industry. ACTOM offers large-scale infrastructure installations to smaller projects and support services. With their 12 specialist and fully integrated divisions, they are committed to meeting their client’s energy needs without compromising the ability of future sustainability generations.

The concept of a power island is growing substantial momentum worldwide and has already successfully been implemented in a few countries. The concept, simply put, means the independent operation of a whole network or part of a network that is isolated after being disconnected from the interconnected system and having at least one power-generating module or HVDC System supplying power to this network and controlling the frequency and voltage.

These networks offer the best solution to meet the growing electrical demands of industrialised countries. Green power islands also reduce the facilities’ carbon footprint and maintain a cost-effective management plan by reducing energy costs and providing a significant return on investment.

There are two conditions under which a power island can operate:

Synchronised mode: This is when the plant is connected to a distribution system, which in turn is connected to the utility grid. In this case, power can be given to the grid, or if required, power can also be extracted from the grid. This method is enabled in both captive and independent power plants.

Islanding mode: A power plant is said to be in islanding mode if it is dissociated from the distribution system or power grid. In this case, the plant runs on house load, i.e., a generator will generate only to cater for the in-house power requirement.

Generally, plants run synchronously with the grid because there is always some mismatch between power generation and demand. Also, if due, for some reason, a power plant trips, it requires starting power that can be drawn from the grid. But usually, plants have their islanding mode enabled, which will automatically island or isolate the plant if there is some external disturbance in the grid, such as voltage dip or erratic frequency change, thus, protecting the plant from external disturbance.

In the grid-connected mode, the host grid handles frequency and voltage regulation. However, in an islanded operation, a microgrid must be able to regulate internal frequency and voltage with proper control. Droop control is the commonly accepted operation for power sharing among DERs in a microgrid.

ACTOM offers a complete turnkey power island solution and is a leading supplier of premium specifications and standard low-voltage motors, gearboxes, speed reducers and motor starters. They custom design and manufacture medium voltage motors for the mining, industrial, processing and utilities markets in South Africa and globally.

According to Naidoo, “As ACTOM, we can deliver every element of a power island. We manufacture the boiler, the turbine, the generator, and the associated switchgear and control. So, ACTOM offers the full scope of products for an effective power island”.

Here, the 12 ACTOM divisions combine by delivering an integrated solution within an efficient value chain.

John Thompson, a division of ACTOM (Pty) Ltd, having a long history and success stories of their unique boiler design and manufacturing, is a global leader in energy and environmental solutions through value engineering and innovation.

They focus on serving their global customers with tailor-made Boilers, Environmental Solutions (including Air Pollution Control), Engineering, Energy Management, Manufacturing, Spares, Maintenance and Training, and they specialise in generating power for sugar mills.

Their engineering teams can accurately simulate virtually any scenario using the latest computational fluid dynamics technology.

When maintenance is needed, ACTOM’s electro-mechanical maintenance, service and repairs specialist, Marthinusen & Coutts, include the maintenance and servicing of machinery and equipment for the mining, rail transportation, utilities, marine, and oil and gas industries.

They are a specialist repairer of power generation equipment, medium and low voltage AC and DC motors, transformers and coil manufacture, and the full range of engineering, testing, diagnostics, balancing and maintenance services.

A power island will not be complete without an IoT solution. ACTOM uses loT devices and artificial intelligence to provide tailor-made solutions to their customers through visibility in the process.

They digitise factories, and equipment and design programs which include applications in protection and control and static power. They incorporate smart intelligence so that the equipment enables an increase in productivity and factory efficiency and a reduction in downtime and wastage.

Static Power specialises in the design and manufacture of AC and DC standby equipment for the Industrial, Telecomms, rail and renewable energy markets, including thyristor type charger (Micro Process Controlled option), industrial batteries, power supplies, industrial UPS, furnace control panels, AC/DC distribution boards and battery tripping units. Static Power has embarked on turnkey solutions for renewable Energy and battery energy storage solutions. All systems are designed and engineered to suit their purpose for local and export markets. ACTOM’s success is testimony to the quality of products and services Static Power is committed to providing to the local and export markets.

Some of ACTOM’s success stories are evident in their completed projects and efforts to keep the lights on. The Ngodwana Biomass Fuel Plant biomass power plant installation, established under South Africa’s Independent Power Producer Programme, was completed as a joint venture between John Thompson’s Industrial Watertube Boilers, an ACTOM division – and Lesedi Nuclear Services. The 25MW power plant is adjacent to Mpumalanga’s Sappi Ngodwana pulp mill. According to Russel Warren, General Manager, John Thomson, the installation took 20 months. John Thomson will operate and maintain the entire plant, comprising the boiler, turbine, and balance of the plant, over a five-year contract period.

ACTOM Power Transformers has designed several low-cost transformers for wind farms, including 157 x 2 700kVA pad-mounted, oil-natural, and air-natural transformers. Consolidated Power Projects, the electrical BOP contractor for the wind farms, Noupoort, Khobab and Loeriesfontein, ordered their transformers from ACTOM. ACTOM had previously also supplied the Kouga Wind farm project. Newer transformers also accommodate the load-break switch and current limiting fuses inside the transformer tank by mounting them under oil instead of the usual external arrangement applied to package transformers.

This reduces the cost. ACTOM supplies electrical equipment, services, and Balance of Plant to any renewable energy projects. The Nordex Kouga Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape is a renewable energy project which makes the most of the fresh onshore breezes that sweep the Eastern Cape coastline of South Africa. Nordex engaged trusted South African contractors Power Construction and ACTOM to undertake the civil and electric work.

Marthinusen & Coutts is Africa’s largest after-market service provider of electrical and mechanical rotating machines. The division works extensively on hydropower plants and has recently been contracted to refurbish a synchronous condenser at the Inga River hydro project in the DRC. “ACTOM is involved in many power projects in the African market, including pump storage schemes like Ingula and the Drakensberg Pump Storage scheme. This reaffirms ACTOM’s position in the whole power island supply chain”, Naidoo added.

With renewable power generation and solutions on everyone’s lips, it’s evident that we should look at our local manufacturers offering their unique value chain of services.

“ACTOM offers the complete Engineering, Procurement and Construction value chain to the installation of the plant, and then beyond that, the actual operation and maintenance of the plant. We take the subcomponents from the cradle to the grave, where we have the after-market services and repairs capability. ACTOM can manufacture all these products and support it through its full life cycle and ultimately facilitate the customer in receiving an optimised plant performance,” Naidoo concluded.

With the continued energy poverty being experienced in South Africa, motors and drives are set to play an ever more crucial role in industry’s energy solution strategy. The manufacturing and processing sectors, which include minerals processing plants, are energy-intensive industries, and finding ways to reduce energy consumption while increasing efficiencies is essential for both economic and environmental reasons.

This is according to Jaco Brits, Projects and Technical Manager at WEG Africa, who says that the company has the knowledge and expertise as well as the technology solutions to assist operations in reducing their operating costs and increasing their productivity while guarding their energy security.

“Electric motors and drives are used across industries to operate pumps, mixers, conveyors, vibrating screens and feeders, crushers, and other machinery including automated packaging systems,” Brits says.

“Advancements in motor and drive technology, underpinned by WEG’s extensive research and development, have seen substantial improvements in energy efficiency, both equipped with advanced control algorithms to optimise motor performance based on real-time conditions,” he explains. “These algorithms assist in ensuring motors operate at peak efficiency levels, even in complex processes.”

“By upgrading to newer technology and installing higher efficiency motors such as the WEG IE3 or IE4 electric motor, customers can significantly lower their energy consumption. In addition to this,” he adds, “by combining high efficiency motors with WEG variable-speed drives (VSDs), better control and optimisation of equipment can be achieved. This ensures that equipment operates at its most energy efficient speed and power level, and will reduce operating costs significantly.”

Commenting on the use of VSDs, Brits explains that traditional fixed speed motors run at a constant speed regardless of the actual load requirements. In contrast, VSDs are most effective in controlling the speed and torque of motors based on the actual load requirements. This level of precision facilitates the adjustment of the motor’s speed to match the load, thereby ensuring that equipment operates only as needed. VSDs also have faster reaction to load changes and better integration with equipment. “All these factors reduce unnecessary energy consumption during periods of low demand and enhances overall equipment efficiency and performance,” says Brits.

Unpacking advancements in drive technology, Brits points to the WEG CFW11 VSD line, which incorporates some of the most advanced technology in the world for alternating-current three-phase induction motors.

“Incorporating WEG Vectrue technology, these new generation WEG drives combine variable frequency, sensorless and closed-loop vector (with encoder) control techniques in a single product. This facilitates high torque and a fast dynamic response with the self-tuning function allowing automatic configuration of the drive to adjust it to the motor and load in vector modes,” Brits says.

With most industries looking at sustainable energy resources including renewables such as wind and solar, motors and drives will continue to play an important role in facilitating the integration of such systems. VSDs can be used to balance power supply and demand, and ensure stable operation in hybrid energy setups.

“Substantial efficiency improvements are possible by leveraging the latest motor and drive technology, and the significant savings in energy consumption more than justify the capital cost of replacing old technology equipment with higher efficiency technology,” Brits concludes.