3. Electronic Theses and Dissertations (ETDs) - All submissions

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    Perspectives on climate change and energy security in South Africa: a study of Eskom
    (2024) Rasimphi, Khuliso James
    Global changes in climatic conditions have both direct and indirect implications on various energy sources and systems, particularly in terms of energy generation vis-à-vis security for sustainable social-economic development. This study examined the relationship between climate change and energy security in South Africa, focusing on energy production, accessibility, and affordability as key determinants. The investigation also explored measures to minimise Eskom’s carbon footprint and opportunities for transitioning the energy sector to cleaner energy sources. A mixed research method, including structured questionnaire surveys, semi-structured interviews, observations, and existing records, was used for data collection. The data was mainly analysed by use of the Microsoft Excel package to generate statistical correlations and relationships to draw the key conclusions contained in this paper. Eskom coal power plants’ ten-year (2010 to 2020) carbon footprint was found to be constantly above 200 million per year. The power utility’s ten-year CO2e trend was primarily influenced by production activities. This is because all Eskom’s coal power plants (except for Medupi) do not have CO2e abatement technology, and the available technologies in the market are too expensive. The study also found that Waterberg (LP) and Nkangala (MP) regions, where most coal power plants are located, have been receiving inconsistent and insufficient rainfall from 2010 to 2021; and projections are suggesting a further decline in precipitation distribution and incline in average temperatures in these regions. Despite all these glaring climate change implications, the current study found that water consumption (2020 to 2021 trend) at coal power plants remained high even in periods wherein energy availability factor had dropped, and therefore indicative of thermal inefficiency. The study also found that South Africa’s slow approach in building a climate change resilient and adaptive energy system was caused by a slow and ineffective implementation of IRP. Thus, South Africa must embark on a decisive transition programme to cleaner energy sources mix as a critical and urgent measure to decarbonize and enhance the energy sector’s resilience against climate change effects, and ensure energy availability, reliability and affordability. The study concludes that Eskom coal power plants should focus their efforts on resolving maintenance problems, operational inefficiencies, and developing adaptation strategies to decarbonize and build resilience against climate change vulnerabilities such as irregular precipitation and high temperature, while ensuring energy security. The energy policy and IRP should be adaptive and continuously informed by regional research to determine the most suitable energy sources for specific regions to ensure an effective transition to cleaner energy systems.
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    Strategic leadership challenges in the management of projects in the parastatals
    (2011-04-13) Mpofu, Stanley
    Since South Africa is a developing state, the roles of the parastatals in stimulating economic growth and contributing to the alleviation of unemployment and poverty eradication are inevitable. South African parastatals find themselves with numerous initiatives that become projects as part of these initiatives. The projects vary from small to large capital investments. Parastatals are strategic assets that need to account for taxpayers’ funds. This thesis considers that the executed projects can add value only if there is a link to the strategic objectives. The effectiveness of this link can be established by having benefit realisation metrics. The metrics should have a process of measuring performance of projects based on strategic objectives. The thesis views projects that are executed outside strategic objectives as not viable. Without a clear process of using strategic objectives as a guide to measure success of projects, the expenditure in parastatals will remain unaccounted for, resulting in what could lead to a PFMA issue. The argument in this thesis, as well as its theoretical concept, is that the lack of strategic leadership has resulted in the challenges facing parastatals with regard to capital expansion and small projects that are executed without linking them to strategic objectives. Aggravating this situation is the blind loyalty to the PMBOK framework used by parastatals in executing projects; yet the framework has a gap regarding the knowledge areas of leadership and change management. The development of the thesis is through in-depth interviews carried out in two parastatals, namely, Eskom and Transnet. The interviews were conducted with respondents who are involved in projects, ranging from senior executives down to project administrators. The research was done in order to assess whether the projects executed in parastatals do, indeed, support strategic objectives. The effectiveness of the link between projects and strategy was based on the premise that when strategic leadership components are practised by the leadership, an execution process requiring proof of value add to the business through a link to the strategic objectives will be the basis for executing projects. The research found organisational structures that were rigid, and bureaucracy was the norm. The PMBOK framework that had been adopted was inadequate. Major findings were that most projects were not linked to strategic objectives and that there was poor strategic leadership at all levels. In view of this, there is a need to get the right leadership and have a rigorous process of ensuring that initiatives that become projects are, indeed, linked to the strategic objectives. 13
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    Examining the effectiveness of BEE implementation: a case study of Eskom restructuring 1995-2005
    (2008-06-09T06:38:32Z) Shangase, G. Mabutho
    Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) has emerged as the premier policy instrument to redress the socio-economic inequalities created by the apartheid system in South Africa. BEE has evolved from a rudimentary concept that was casually coined outside government in the 1990s to being the policy instrument du jour of the post 1994 democratic dispensation. BEE has received critical attention culminating in its institutionalization through a BEE Council, an Act of Parliament, and a policy framework to facilitate its implementation. The institutionalization of this concept across government policy and practice settings, including, in particular, the government’s drive to restructure its enterprises, has accentuated BEE’s important role in the government’s reconstruction and development agenda. However, the evolution of BEE has not been a smooth journey. Its capacity and direction to respond to dire socio-economic demands has raised a deluge of questions and remarks, often negative, from many fronts. The purpose of this study is to critically examine the extent to which BEE produces the targeted results through its implementation via the restructuring of state owned enterprises (SOEs). What is also of significance is that the restructuring of SOEs and the implementation of BEE is occurring against a backdrop of a conspicuous neo-liberal drive. Whilst setting the scene with a theoretical background to the South African economy before and after 1994, the practical focus of this study is limited to the implementation of BEE using Eskom, an SOE, as a case study. Just as this study indicates a successful implementation of BEE through Eskom, questions remain as to how much widespread the benefits have been amongst the targeted previously marginalized black majority.
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    Deficiences of practical eskom currently uses for setting out-of-step relays
    (2006-10-26T07:35:06Z) De Villiers, Louw Nicolaas Francois
    In the recent past the Eskom network operated out-of-step at three occasions. Eskom questions whether the out-of-step relays responded as they should have. This is based on the fact that not all the out-of-step relays operated during these events. This dissertation shows that shunts can make the impedance locus behave nonclassically to the extent that the present practices Eskom uses for out-of-step relaying become inappropriate for application at certain busbars of the network. This is illustrated by showing that when the characteristic of the relay at Hydra, situated on the Mpumalanga side of Hydra, is set using the classical approach, the mentioned relay will not detect swings that have their electrical centre south of Hydra. A modified two generator model is used to show the effect shunts have. The phrase “improved two generator model” refers to this model. The improved two generator model is derived to represent the section of the Eskom network that links Mpumalanga to the Western Cape.
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