Mantashe ‘grapples’ with difference between a permit and licence as 100-MW reform drafting …

Mineral Resource and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says that a revised amendment to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, reflecting an increase in the licence-exemption cap from 1 MW to 100 MW, will be finalised within the coming week and will be shared with The Presidency “so that we reconcile our approach”. However, speaking during an Absa event on Wednesday, Mantashe struck a somewhat ominous tone when he said that he and his officials were still grappling over the distinction between the registration “permit” to be issued by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) under the new regulation and a licence.
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Business alliance joins appeal against DFFE’s Karpowership EIA rejections

The West Coast Black Business Alliance (WCBBA) has come on board alongside other organisations to appeal the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s (DFFE’s) decision to not approve Karpowership South Africa’s environmental-impact assessments (EIAs) for three powership gas-to-power projects.

The WCBBA on July 7 said it would launch an independent appeal against the decision, as would the Eastern Cape Maritime Business Chamber (ECMBC) and the National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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Green Climate Fund contributes $170m to African energy access programme

The board of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved $170.9-million in financing for the African Development Bank’s (AfDB’s) Leveraging Energy Access Finance Framework (LEAF) programme.

The programme aims to unlock commercial and local-currency financing for decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects in Ghana, Guinea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Tunisia.

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EV adoption too expensive for South Africans, study indicates

The upfront costs associated with electric vehicles (EVs) is the biggest barrier to the transport mode’s adoption and uptake in South Africa, says Stellenbosch University associate Professor Stephan Krygsman. Speaking on behalf of Benson Manu, who authored the study on EVs, Krygsman says EV adoption is largely driven by global carbon emissions standards – of which the European Union and China are taking the lead.
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