Northumbria Energy secures international partnership with South African firm creating 200 jobs

A partnership has been agreed between Northumbria Energy, South Africa’s Smart Grid Networks and the IOS Group to develop an Energy Skills Academy in South Africa.

This aims to equip students with skills to support the emerging ‘smart energy’ sector, including technologies like smart metering, smart mini grids and energy storage systems.

It is estimated, throughout Africa, over 600 million people live without access to an electricity grid. The potential for smart grids powered by renewable energy to provide electricity for homes, businesses and communities is almost limitless.

Northumbria Energy provides a turn-key smart mini grid solution and has partnered with Pretoria-based Smart Grid Networks to offer this solution to partners in South and Sub Saharan Africa.

Tim Cantle-Jones, managing director of Northumbria Energy, said: “We are delighted to be a part of an initiative which will create jobs and help provide a new energy infrastructure that has the capacity to transform the economic prospects for many communities in South and Southern Africa.”

The smart energy sector requires new skills for project implementation, hence the requirement for an Energy Skills Academy.

The Academy will be located in Gauteng and will benefit from trainers and resources provided by Northumbria Energy. The Academy programme will be managed by the IOS Group. It is anticipated that the Academy will create at least 200 new jobs in the sector.

John O’Connor, chief executive of Pretoria based IOS Group, added: “A lack of people with skills is holding back the growth of the South African economy and indeed the economies of countries throughout Africa.

“IOS Group are committed to transforming the skills landscape in South Africa. We are targeting a number of priority sectors - including energy. We see the partnership with Northumbria Energy and Smart Grid Networks as a vital underpinning to new opportunities in the energy sector.”

Mthobi Tyamzashe, chairman of Pretoria based Smart Grid Networks, concluded: “We see this partnership with Northumbria Energy and IOS Group as a founding base of our plan to supply new energy systems to communities throughout South Africa.

“For example, over 35 per cent of communities in Kwa Zulu Natal and the Eastern Cape live without access to the main electricity grid. It is vital that we have a trained workforce who can install and maintain these new smart grids.”

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