Overview of renewable energy in the South African agricultural sector

Renewable Energy (RE) was utilized in the early times of South Africa’s agricultural development for pumping of water and communication purposes. The windmill opened up the arid Karoo region by providing drinking borehole water for farmers and their sheep. Later on the South African electricity utility (ESKOM) provided very cheap electricity and RE could not compete. RE then became out of fashion, despite its high potential for agricultural development. Now increased demand and old utility infrastructure put electricity supply under pressure with increased load shedding and loss of reliability. The paper highlights how South Africa (SA) succeeded technically to develop biodiesel from sunflower oil for use in tractors, although not economical at present. The various RE options include biogas from animal manure, micro hydropower, photovoltaic (PV) panels, solar water heating and wind. Hybrid windmill / PV combinations can ensure reliable water supply in arid game farms.The successful uptake of new RE technologies remains the biggest challenge for research institutions. The establishment of the Renewable Energy Centre at the ARC forms an integral part of changing people’s perception of RE as alternative to the electricity grid. The ARC also developed a small biogas digester suitable for a rural household with two dairy cows. The household can be energy self-sustaining with this unit. Private SA companies are becoming more successful in RE products like solar water heaters, PV systems, wind turbines and even carbon trading. The latest development is for RE producers to feed in generated electricity into the national ESKOM grid. Farmers can now become RE farmers in additional to producing food and fibre. RE should be revived as the most economical energy supply taking all factors in consideration. It is the only economically sustainable and reliable energy for the future.