Huawei Promotes Grid-Forming Technology for South Africa's Energy Transition

Huawei's Kyle Zhang emphasized the need for 'grid-forming' technology to stabilize South Africa's energy transition at the Solar & Storage Live Africa 2026 conference. He noted that solar power is set to surpass coal as the primary energy source globally by the end of next year, but South Africa faces transmission challenges. Huawei advocates for grid-forming inverters to enable consistent power output from solar and battery systems. Zhang also highlighted rising raw material costs and the application of AI in solar plant operations.

Published Mar 29, 2026

At the Solar & Storage Live Africa 2026 conference, Huawei's Kyle Zhang urged the adoption of 'grid-forming' technology in South Africa to address transmission bottlenecks and grid instability. He projected that solar power will surpass coal as the world's leading energy source by the end of next year.

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While renewable capacity is expected to grow significantly by 2030, South Africa faces challenges due to the concentration of PV projects. Huawei promotes grid-forming inverters, which provide constant power outputs akin to traditional thermal plants. Zhang also noted a recent 30% to 50% increase in raw material costs and the integration of AI for predictive maintenance in solar operations.