Joburg pilots scheme to improve energy access in informal settlements

To address the challenges of supplying electricity to informal settlements in Johannesburg, the city’s electricity utility City Power is managing a pilot project to supply residents in the Lawley and Thembelihle informal settlements. During the Power and Electricity World Africa conference, which took place in Sandton earlier this month, City Power supply- and demand-side management manager Paul Vermeulen explained that the New Energy Mix project aimed to provide residents in informal settlements with free gas appliances, such as a gas stove, which would enable them to access an alternative source of energy.