While renewable energy prices are tracking lower and electrolyser technology is evolving, the availability of water as an input for the production of green hydrogen, sustainably generated from renewable power sources, and the specific markets for green hydrogen products are important focus areas for project developers, a panel of industry experts said on June 3. Industrial technology multinational Siemens Energy Southern and Eastern Africa sales and generation VP Mark van Antwerp, law firm Webber Wentzel partner Gillian Niven and environmental consultancy SLR Africa power sector lead Stuart Heather Clark spoke during a briefing on the global, technological and local regulatory framework, obstacles and opportunities for the production of green hydrogen in South Africa.
As South Africa seeks to scale up the move away from being reliant on coal-fired energy towards cleaner energy forms, the resultant just transition process to enable this must be cognisant of a number of different stakeholders. This was indicated during a ‘Key priorities and challenges for a Just Transition in Emalahleni and Steve Tshwete’ webinar held on June 3.
Portfolio Committee on Public Enterprises chairperson Khaya Magaxa has welcomed the announcement by Eskom’s board that it has cleared CEO Andre de Ruyter of racism allegations.
Magaxa says the utility can now move on with turning the power utility around and meet its responsibilities.
Macsteel CEO Mike Benfield is confident that the company has a strong legal case against the continued application of an 8% safeguard duty on hot-rolled coil (HRC) and confirms that it is also asking the court for an order granting that it be reimbursed for the duties paid since the extension was confirmed in August last year. Should Macsteel succeed in its challenge, which is scheduled to be heard on June 22, it is possible that other domestic steel consumers that have imported HRC from nonexempt countries since August will seek similar reimbursements from the South African Revenue Service.
In this summary of a presentation made to a colloquium organised by Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion, Creamer Media CEO and Wits University economics lecturer Dr Kenneth Creamer outlines five priorities for South Africa’s electricity policy
Solar tracker manufacturer STI Norland South Africa is optimistic about the solar market in South Africa, particularly as Bid Window 5 of the renewables programme was launched earlier this year and a 10 MW licence-exemption threshold for small-scale embedded generation has been proposed by government.
The company stands ready to supply the market with its proven STI-H250 dual-row solar trackers, after establishing its presence in 2013 and moving its office to Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, in October last year.
Specialist economics advisory group Meridian Economics has outlined five practical actions that could be taken in the next 500 days to address South Africa’s immediate electricity crisis and position the broader energy sector for future sustainability and climate resilience. In a briefing note prepared for the Capacity Building Programme for Employment Promotion Colloquium, hosted this week by the Government Technical Advisory Centre and funded by the European Union, authors Dr Grové Steyn, Celeste Renaud and Lonwabo Mgoduso argue that the five actions would “jump-start South Africa’s journey to a 21st century energy sector” and open the way for a myriad of new industrial and employment opportunities.
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