Providing end-to-end energy services, state-of-the-art sustainability solutions, and a range of pivotal projects, Manie de Waal, CEO, explains how Energy Partners is at the heart of resolving South Africa’s energy challenges.
POWERED BY RESULTS
The energy industry in South Africa (SA) is historically a turbulent and complex landscape, characterised by socioeconomic and political difficulties.
This is exemplified by the South African energy crisis, which has resulted in an ongoing battle of nationwide power outages that have been a frequent challenge since 2007.
The crisis first emerged in 1998 after it was realised that the South African government and state-owned power generator Eskom had minimal power reserves, meaning the country would run out of energy in nine years if critical power development steps were not taken.
However, despite urgent requests to restructure Eskom’s electrical power generation, little action was taken and, as a result, the organisation’s limited energy supply was unable to keep up with increasing national demand by the beginning of 2007.
Consequently, SA has suffered frequent energy shortages and regular periods of load shedding in an attempt to fairly balance the demand for electrical power across the country and gradually relieve the pressure on the primary producer. Yet, this solution still causes major power outage issues, having a considerable impact across the nation.
The crisis has further highlighted the major constraints of the South African electrical grid, which is still heavily reliant on burning fossil fuels and coal-based power generation.
Alongside grappling with a restricted energy supply, limited power infrastructure also means it is difficult for the country to integrate renewable energy sources, impeding SA’s rapid energy transition.
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES
Despite these long-standing challenges, the South African energy industry continues to flourish, as it is the country’s largest economic generator and is transitioning to a more diversified range of energy resources, including renewables.
This notable shift is demonstrated by SA’s evolving legislative environment and the Electricity Regulation Amendment Act, which is expected to revolutionise the energy landscape by introducing a multi-generator market with increased involvement from the private sector.
In light of this, SA hopes to achieve a more robust power supply that caters to the evolving demands of consumers whilst also paving the way for a fruitful energy transition in the future.
This is evidenced by a noticeable uptick in the energy storage market, which is expected to increase to ZAR14.5 billion by 2035, caused by a growing demand for renewable power generation.
“The country’s energy transition is being driven by an increased call for reliable and sustainable power solutions, the decentralisation of the energy supply, and favourable policy shifts aimed at encouraging private sector participation,” opens Manie de Waal, CEO of Energy Partners – one of SA’s leading energy providers.
Indeed, power companies across the nation must adopt a strategic and objective approach to identify and capitalise on the right opportunities whilst mitigating the widespread risks of this diverse landscape.
“Energy Partners navigates the industry by remaining focused on leveraging expertise, innovative investment structures, operational agility, and delivering efficient sustainable energy solutions that align with SA’s evolving energy needs,” he insights.
As such, the evolution of the South African energy industry, and renewable power generation in particular, make for an undeniably exciting space, characterised by rapid change and growing investment opportunities.
ALLEVIATING OPERATIONAL RISK
Founded in 2009, Energy Partners was established in the early stages of the country’s electricity crisis and has therefore witnessed the industry’s evolution over the past 10+ years.
“Our purpose is simple but ambitious – to enable world-class organisations to sustain a better future for all,” de Waal excites.
A major provider of integrated energy solutions, the company operates across five core divisions – power, refrigeration, steam, asset management, and sustainability.
In addition, Energy Partners owns and operates more than 85 energy assets across the nation, supported by USD$150 million in pre-approved funding facilities.
“We serve a client base that includes leading industrial and commercial companies in retail, agri-processing, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and healthcare,” he outlines.
The company is further distinguished by its full-service offering and vertical integration model, whereby it takes full ownership and operational risk of the world-class solutions it deploys.
It goes beyond simple design and construction through financing, owning, operating, and maintaining integrated energy systems over a long-term period.
“We take full operational and financial responsibility, giving our clients peace of mind as they can rely on guaranteed performance, predictable costs, and maximum uptime. In a market like SA, where conditions change fast, this is an invaluable competitive advantage,” de Waal excites.
The vertically integrated model also means there’s an alignment of interest between Energy Partners and its clients.
As asset owner, it’s in the company’s best interest to ensure the solution performs optimally over time, a commitment from which both parties ultimately benefit.
“This is an approach that allows us to unlock real, sustainable value for our clients whilst helping them to focus on their core operations.”
Beyond its vertically integrated model, Energy Partners is internationally unique in its ability to integrate and finance different types of energy systems, such as power, refrigeration, and steam, supported by dedicated Sustainability, Asset Management and Engineering teams.
The company is a pioneer of the servitisation business model globally, further highlighting its commitment to customer service and innovation.
“We invest in and operate energy assets on behalf of our clients, often taking it completely off their balance sheets – a shift that has fundamentally changed how energy solutions are delivered,” informs de Waal.
As a result, Energy Partners continues to lead in the servitisation space, bolstered by a growing portfolio of critical energy infrastructure.
Regarding technical expertise, meanwhile, the company has the unique ability to integrate and finance the entire operational value chain, from steam and refrigeration to solar photovoltaic (PV) technology, battery energy storage systems (BESS), and environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting, providing a reliable, comprehensive service offering.
Evidently, Energy Partners goes above and beyond to engineer system-level efficiencies that single provider technologies simply cannot match.
“Our culture of innovation, deep technical expertise, and commitment to long-term partnerships also set us apart,” he enthuses.
PROVEN PROJECT PARTNERSHIPS
A major component of Energy Partners’ success is its ability to create steadfast partnerships, which span more than two decades and have resulted in measurable results for the business and its clients.
More recently, it partnered with Aspen Pharmacare (Aspen), a multinational pharmaceutical company that expertly manufactures and markets a vast range of branded and non-branded medicines.
The partnership represents a key milestone for both Aspen and the broader African continent.
Energy Partners has signed and committed to a USD$18 million Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) agreement to design, build, own, and operate a state-of-the-art centralised ammonia cooling plant at Aspen’s pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the city of Gqeberha, situated in the Eastern Cape province.
“This is one of the largest refrigeration projects in the continent and it’s critical to Aspen’s commitment to producing vaccines and medicines for Africa, in Africa,” acclaims de Waal.
The landmark facility will replace multiple independent systems, streamlining the company’s manufacturing process, improving efficiencies, and cutting energy consumption by 40 percent.
“What makes the project so impactful is Aspen doesn’t carry the capital expenditure (CapEx) or operational risk. Rather, Energy Partners takes full ownership of the system’s performance and ensures reliable, efficient cooling with minimal environmental impact,” he insights.
Indeed, Energy Partners will help to provide a futureproof energy solution for Aspen through the CaaS agreement, in which the company will build, own, and operate the system under a servitisation model.
As a result, Energy Partners is taking full responsibility for uptime, temperature control, and compliance, offering Aspen world-class refrigeration solutions with zero operational risk.
FACILITATING POWERFUL RESULTS
Energy Partners is proud to deliver an energy storage project at a 30,000-square-metre shopping mall complex that is completely disconnected from Eskom and SA’s national grid, making it a unique and distinguished project.
Located in Gauteng, Heidelberg Mall is run by a bespoke, uninterrupted power supply pioneered and engineered by Energy Partners.
Primary power generation comes from a 3.2-megawatt peak (MWp) rooftop solar PV system, paired with a 3.1-megawatt hour (MWh) BESS.
“What makes the system exceptional is the real-time automated load management that optimises consumption and ensures full autonomy. The Eskom grid is used as back-up on cloudy days and diesel is only available as a last resort,” de Waal informs.
Since going live in June 2024, the mall has saved more than ZAR8 million and has continued trading uninterrupted, even during prolonged grid outages caused by climate change.
This exemplifies how the company’s hybrid solution reduces peak demand and enhances solar energy usage, ultimately offering significant savings and a reliable power solution for a previously disrupted energy supply.
“It is a powerful example of how distributed energy solutions can futureproof high-demand facilities in SA,” he prides.
Alongside a number of recent watershed developments, Energy Partners has also expanded its investment in cutting-edge energy solutions, with over USD$150 million allocated to pre-approved funding facilities which support the construction and long-term operation of its utility assets.
These funding facilities reinforce the company’s ability to deploy solar and BESS solutions, CaaS technologies, and steam outsourcing assets efficiently and at scale.
“By leveraging bespoke and innovative investment structures, we ensure the sustainability and long-term viability of our projects whilst maintaining full ownership of our 84 utility assets across multiple technologies on our balance sheet,” affirms de Waal.
Furthermore, the flexibility of Energy Partners’ funding facilities allows for rapid and strategic investment decisions, ensuring the company can meet the evolving energy needs of its clients across SA with minimal delay.
In addition, the company continues to explore further opportunities to expand its portfolio, investing in high-impact, sustainable infrastructure that enhances operational efficiency and reduces clients’ carbon footprint.
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