Freight logistics group Transnet expects to proceed with three private sector participation (PSP) projects before the end of the year, with Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan confirming that the State-owned group’s new strategy is to drive volume growth “by developing key strategic partnerships in its core segments”. Delivering his Budget Vote address on Tuesday, Gordhan said the transformation and reconfiguration of Transnet was under way to position it to meet the mandate outlined in South Africa’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan.
South African power utility Eskom said there was a high probability it would have to implement nationwide electricity cuts on Tuesday owing to breakdowns at a number of its generation units. “While no loadshedding is anticipated at this point, Eskom could be forced to implement Stage 1 or, if necessary, Stage 2 load-shedding at short notice should any further breakdowns occur,” Eskom said in a statement.
The great exploration geologist who made the colossal and still-thriving diamond discovery against all odds at the Venetia diamond mine in Limpopo believes there is no reason why new battery and other specialist minerals cannot be discovered in South Africa, using the techniques that he applied in diamond exploration in those days. The highly experienced and hugely successful exploration geologist Bill McKechnie, who was heavily involved in greenfield exploration in South Africa, was also behind many other diamondiferous kimberlites, including The Oaks.
During its May 18 annual general meeting, the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) elected a new board, comprising three new members, as it also celebrated ten years in existence and proactive policy advocacy and lobbying efforts.
The association states that it has been at the “forefront of transforming” South Africa’s economy and energy sector and that its new board has adapted to the rapidly changing industry and “embedding best practice to create a world-leading” renewables sector in South Africa.
Absa Group, Investec and the Development Bank of Southern Africa indicated they could support a bid by a Turkish company to supply emergency power to South Africa, according to a person familiar with the situation. Conditional backing from the financial institutions, which has yet to be finalized and is dependent on undisclosed conditions being met, enabled Karpowership to offer to supply 1 220 MW of power from ship-based, gas-fired plants. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the banks haven’t publicly disclosed their involvement.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan reported on Tuesday that, while Eskom was able to reduce its debt by R83-billion, from R484-billion to R401-billion, during the 2021 financial year, efforts to find a lasting solution to the State-owned utility’s unsustainable debt remained a “work in progress”. Gordhan told lawmakers that the management of Eskom’s debt was one of the key priorities to return the entity to a sustainable path, but in a subsequent media briefing acknowledged that “we haven’t been able to move as fast as we thought we might be able to move”.
To mitigate climate change and help move South Africans towards being more energy efficient in the way they use electrical devices, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) is encouraging individuals to consider their household energy use and find avenues to reduce consumption.
South Africa is the highest greenhouse-gas contributor in Africa, according to SANEDI, which also states that all the country’s citizens have a role to play in changing this situation.
The organisation whose initial analysis indicated that reforming Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to exempt embedded generation projects of at least 50 MW in size from the country’s cumbersome licencing process could unlock 5 000 MW of new capacity within five years has made its formal submission on a draft amendment to the legislation. In the submission, Meridian Economics warns that South Africa’s electricity crisis is worsening and that the immediate capacity shortfall of between 4 000 and 8 000 MW is hindering South Africa’s economic recovery.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued a call for research proposals, into hybrid nuclear and renewable energy systems. This call falls under the IAEA’s Coordinated Research Project (CRP). “Nuclear and renewables are the two principal options for low [carbon] emission energy generation,” points out the call document, which is entitled ‘Technical Evaluation and Optimisation of Nuclear-Renewable Hybrid Energy Systems’. “However, synergies among these resources have yet to be fully exploited, and advantages of directly integrating these generation options are only now being explored for both the [electricity] grid and to provide energy for other commodity products.”
Large electricity consumers have again called for proposed amendments to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which governs the registration and licensing of distributed-generation plants, to be “meaningful” in a context where load-shedding cost the economy up to R160-billion in 2020 alone. Besides a submission by Business Unity South Africa (Busa) on the draft amendment, which was published for public comment on April 23, it has been confirmed that the Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa (EIUG), the Minerals Council South Africa and the Aggregate and Sand Producers Association of South Africa (Aspasa) have all made separate submissions ahead of the June 4 closing date.
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