RWE leads Global Blockage Effect research initiative

Renewable energy company RWE Renewables has announced a new project to reduce the commercial uncertainty around the modelling of the Global Blockage Effect (GBE).

The GBE in offshore wind is the latest joint industry initiative under the Offshore Wind Accelerator (Owa) programme and is designed to improve understanding of the true impact of GBE by undertaking the first of its kind measurement campaign under real offshore conditions.

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EUIG wants wheeling reform to accompany rise in licence-exemption cap to 50 MW

The Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa (EIUG) has added its voice to growing calls to increase South Africa’s licence exemption threshold from 1 MW to 50 MW, but says the change should be accompanied by an updating of the current framework for wheeling power across the network. In a statement, the EIUG, which represents large mining and industrial companies that consume about 40% of South Africa’s electrical energy, said it was encouraged by Eskom’s support for the raising of the threshold, as well as CEO Andre de Ruyter’s offer to assist customers with their distributed-generation applications.
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Johannesburg’s first gas-fired power plants planned by Harith

Harith General Partners, which funds infrastructure development across Africa, is pushing ahead with plans to build the first gas-fired power plants in South Africa’s industrial hub of Gauteng and is exploring options to source the fuel. The fund manager wants to build two gas-fired plants at the site of its coal-fired Kelvin Power Station, which lies east of Johannesburg close to the city’s main airport. The government’s energy blueprint, known as the Integrated Resource Plan, includes proposals to bring gas to the region from 2023 at the earliest, and that target isn’t ambitious enough, according to Sipho Makhubela, Harith’s chief executive officer.
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Vaccine nationalism may create conditions for increased political turmoil – Zane Dangor

Special advisor to Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Zane Dangor stated on Thursday that vaccine nationalism is the opposite of the solidarity approach that was spoken of at the outset of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.            Dangor was addressing an online discussion on ‘Trade, Patent Law and Vaccine Procurement during the Covid-19 pandemic’ which focused on issues and lessons for the global south.    
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