On Wednesday, 6 Mya 2015, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) was host a significant launch in the world of energy. With the increasing pressures paced on the existing power supply, new ways of generating and storing energy need to be created.
The opening of the Energy Storage Innovation Lab (ESIL) took place at UWC’s main campus in Bellville and guests were taken on a tour of the ESIL Integration Lab and ESIL Battery Production.
Listening to a number of speakers who introduced ESIL, guests at the event were able to get a clearer understanding of what the purpose of the lab is. Speakers included Dr Phil Mjwara -Director General of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Prof. Bernard Bladergroen – Head of ESIL, Barry MacColl – General Manager, Research Testing and Development at Eskom and Mr Gerhard Swart who is a Technology Strategist at ESIL.
During the tour, guests were able to see how battery packs are produced and how modes of transport such as bicycles and small vehicles are able to run on these battery packs.
