Orania goes off-the-grid, no more load shedding
Load shedding is finally a thing of the past as controversial white-only town Orania is now grid-independent.
The controversial white-only town in the Northern Cape Orania is now grid-independent and finally free from load shedding.
NO LOAD SHEDDING IN ORANIA
In 2022, the self-governing town announced its plans to prevent reliance on the wobbly power utility through its solar panel farm called Orasol.
Speaking to The South African, Orania Movement leader Joost Strydom said the idea of their solar farm – Orasol- was their first and most crucial step.
“A total of 2,500 people have to take responsibility for their community, and electricity is one of them. The first phase of the solar farm project cost the community R10.5 million, and not a cent of it came from the government. This all came from the pockets of residents and Orania supporters,” he said then.
Fast forward to 2024, a large battery energy storage system (BESS) that will help the town avoid the first six load shedding stages has been delivered.
According to MyBroadband, the 4.8MWh BESS offers 4.3MWh of useable capacity with a maximum output of 2.75MW.
Furthermore, the BESS consists of multiple lithium-ion battery cells with a control system that can manage battery levels at the cell level. It also features liquid cooling for optimal thermal management.
Orasol told the publication that the battery’s primary purpose would be to provide the town with an uninterrupted electricity supply during power outages, going up to stage 6 load shedding.
The town reportedly has a demand of around 1.2MW, with a peak demand of 1.9MW.
HISTORY OF THE CONTROVERSIAL TOWN
Orania was founded in 1991 by Carel Boshoff Snr, an Afrikaner intellectual and son-in-law of apartheid architect Hendrik Verwoerd.
The controversial town, which has schools, shops, salons, and other amenities, has been giving many politicians sleepless nights, with some vowing to have its status reviewed or closed down.
In 2021, the number of people living in Orania spiked by 16.5%. Since 2018, the amount of residents has skyrocketed by over 55%. The total population is now over 3000 for the first time – and there are plans to go further.