Lifting distributed-generation cap ‘one of the easier decisions’ facing government – De …

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has described the plan, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation (SONA) address, to lift the licence-exemption threshold for distributed-generation plants as “one of the easier decisions” government could make in the near-term to alleviate stress on the utility, which is having to resort to regular load-shedding to mitigate supply shortfalls. Asked during a virtual event hosted by the Free Market Foundation if there were any immediate changes that government could make to help address the crisis, De Ruyter argued that lifting the licence exemption to well above the current 1-MW threshold “could assist us in unlocking additional capacity quickly by leveraging private capital – that is probably one of the easier decisions, hopefully, that government can take”.
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Eskom, regulator says cracks in Koeberg containment structures not serious

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has assured the public that the Koeberg nuclear power station, in Cape Town, is not discharging harmful radiation into the environment.

The NNR was responding to media coverage suggesting that the outer shell of the containment building at the power station were damaged and were not effectively protecting the environment from radiation.

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Afsia publishes inaugural solar outlook report

Industry body the Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) has published its first yearly ‘Africa Solar Outlook’ report, which provides clear and concise information about the solar dynamics in each country in Africa to help solar professionals make decisions, says Afsia CEO John van Zuylen. The report reviews the key drivers for successful solar developments in each country and provides snapshots of their statuses and latest developments.
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Ramaphosa’s SoNA holds bold promises, but lacks finer details, says BLSA

In his February 13 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted factors that will serve to lift the economy, tackle Covid-19 and boost ailing electricity infrastructure, says Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

Of particular interest, she says, was the four priorities of defeating Covid-19, driving an economic recovery, making reforms to improve inclusive growth and a rapid expansion of energy generating capacity were “spot on”.


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