Arnot Opco enters into coal supply agreement with Eskom

JSE-listed coal miner Wescoal reports that Arnot Opco, in which it holds a 50% stake, has entered into a long-term coal supply agreement (CSA) with State-owned power utility Eskom to supply coal from the Arnot mine, in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, for the next ten years. The CSA marks the conclusion of months of negotiations with the power utility, which commenced mid-2020 following the Arnot Opco incorporation. The initial transaction between Arnot Opco and Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga (ECM) in 2019 was heralded as “one-of-its-kind” by the South African regulatory authorities and was led by retrenched ECM Arnot mine employees, Innovators Resources in partnership with Wescoal. Through the CSA, Arnot Opco will deliver coal to Eskom’s Arnot power station through conveyor belts, thereby reducing costs for both the power utility and the mining company. The first delivery to Eskom is expected this year.
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Mantashe publishes long-awaited amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, in an August 12 Government Gazette, published the eagerly awaited amendments to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act to enable distributed generation plants of up to 100 MW to proceed without first obtaining a generation licence. To address the recent electricity deficit situation and reduce the impact of intermittent power supply to businesses and the economy, President Cyril Ramaphosa in June instructed Mantashe to Gazette, within 60 days, an amendment to permit private electricity generators to build and commission plants of up to 100 MW without a generating licence.
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Jacobs appointed to modify Koeberg’s secondary turbine system

NYSE-listed consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery company Jacobs has been appointed to carry out essential engineering modifications as part of a R20-billion programme to extend the operating life of South Africa’s only nuclear power station – Koeberg, in the Western Cape.

The project is in preparation for the installation of six replacement steam generators, each weighing about 380 t and measuring about 20 m long, at the two-reactor plant operated by State-owned power utility Eskom.

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Renewable energy sustainability bound to just transition and positive impacts

The sustainability of renewable energy is linked to its long-term positive impact within host communities and close collaboration will help bring about a socially just transition to cleaner energy, says renewable independent power producer (IPP) Scatec sub-Saharan Africa GM Jan Fourie. He adds that it will also result in a fairer distribution of skills and jobs in the country.
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