An open and lite technoeconomic dataset and assumptions for open energy, emissions and mitigation modeling in the Republic of South Africa

This article provides a large-scale dataset for South African energy system modeling intended to aid long-term energy planning. The dataset, which is accessible on Zenodo, contains comprehensive data on installed capacity, resource potentials, historical and projected electricity production and consumption, capacity factors, and capital, fixed, and variable costs. The data was rigorously collected from national institutions, international organizations, and scholarly journals and organized into an easy-to-use Excel workbook. This dataset is compatible with the open-source energy modeling system (OSeMOSYS) framework but can also be used in other energy modeling applications [1]. Following the U4RIA (ubuntu, retrievability, repeatability, reconstructability, interoperability, and auditability) principles [2], this dataset attempts to improve energy modeling efforts, supporting analysts, policy makers, and the scientific community in creating robust energy strategies. By lowering the complexity and time needed for data collection, this tool helps South Africa, and other comparable regions achieve more effective and efficient energy planning.