Sasol, NRF call for energy transition and green economy solution proposals

Integrated energy and chemicals company Sasol and the National Research Foundation (NRF) are requesting research proposals on science and engineering projects that can enable Sasol’s and South Africa’s energy transition, as well as the development of the country’s green economy.

Of interest to Sasol is research in hydrogen production, renewable energy, energy storage and carbon dioxide conversion to chemical and fuels – all key areas critical to enabling its environmental and business sustainability goals.

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PetroSA mulls geothermal as way to offset ‘decommissioning liability monster’

Embattled State-owned gas-to-liquids refiner PetroSA is considering plans to harness geothermal energy from its mature or depleted gas wells to produce electricity and delay decommissioning. Addressing a conference in Cape Town this week, Central Energy Fund (CEF) CEO Dr Ishmael Poolo reported that PetroSA, which is a CEF subsidiary, was facing a “decommissioning liability monster” and that various prospects were being considered to repurpose the ailing operation.
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SAPVIA speaks out on Suntech Solar’s court application against the DTIC

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has been named as a respondent in an application filed by local renewable energy supplier Suntech Solar Power South Africa earlier this month. Suntech Solar has taken the decision to challenge the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme’s (RMIPPPP’s) decision-making process and the associated empirical data used that led to retrospective exemptions from designated local content (DLC) requirements. 
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Sefa provides $1m to modernise Africa’s hydropower fleet

African Development Bank (AfDB) managed fund, the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (Sefa), has approved a $1-million grant for the modernisation of Africa’s aging hydropower fleet. The grant will fund the mapping and evaluation of African hydropower facilities’ rehabilitation needs.
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New online portal launched to showcase African green recovery projects

A new web-based platform, which will showcase green stimulus projects across Africa, has been officially launched. The portal, which can be found at http://agsp.nepad.org/, was unveiled this week by South Africa’s Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy in her capacity as outgoing president of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).
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Refrigeration system to cut energy costs available

With South African retailers looking for ways of recovering from the latest lockdown, as well as the looting and vandalism, an opportunity to decrease costs on the system that comprises the bulk of their energy spend, which is refrigeration, has arisen. “All food retailers rely on refrigeration and are compelled to spend a lot of time, money and finite resources on managing these systems in-house. However, new, ground-breaking technology and the emergence of a pay-per-service model for clean cooling are changing the status quo,” says local refrigeration manufacturer EP Refrigeration business development head Dawie Kriel.
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Global citrus demand increases refrigeration demand

A global increase in demand for South African-grown citrus, as well as more export regulations, has resulted in a substantial increase in demand for refrigeration capacity, says local refrigeration manufacturer EP Refrigeration business development head Dawie Kriel. “We not only need to add refrigerated storage space but also improve refrigerated transport capacity,” he tells Engineering News.
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Company can cater to high retrofitting demand

Software solutions provider ABB Electrification has experienced high demand from the local market for energy-efficient systems related to integrating automation into electrical and mechanical systems, particularly in terms of retrofitting these products into older buildings. “These energy-efficient systems have been around for many years, but until last year, they were pushed aside locally as they were often too expensive. Going forward, energy-efficient systems can be a lot more easily adopted,” explains ABB Electrification product marketing specialist Yuri Ramsamy.
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Association releases new training manual

Last month, South African Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Contractors Association (Saracca) released its updated training manual, which will be implemented, from this month onwards, by heating, ventilation, air-conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC-R) training providers throughout South Africa. Saracca director Barney Richardson tells Engineering News that the new manual is part of the association’s continuous efforts to maintain skills levels in the HVAC-R sector.
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