Chemicals and energy group Sasol has announced a material acceleration of its decarbonisation plans, confirming that it will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030 rather than by the much-criticised 10% level to which it initially committed. CEO Fleetwood Grobler has also pledged that the group will transition to net-zero emissions by 2050 and has confirmed that Sasol will not invest in any new coal reserves.
In dealing with its current energy crisis, South Africa must ensure that it shores up reliable short- and long-term supply options that adhere to sustainable energy objectives. This was indicated by speakers on the first day of the 11th yearly Sustainability Summit on September 21, during the Sustainable Energy Seminar in partnership with DND Energy.
China plans to stop building new coal-fired power plants abroad, President Xi Jinping said at a virtual United Nations General Assembly meeting on Tuesday.
The announcement came a year after Xi surprised world leaders by pledging to make China carbon-neutral by 2060 after reaching peak emissions by the end of the decade. He has come under pressure to back up that promise with concrete short-term goals ahead of global climate talks, known as COP26, to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, in November.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved three generation licences for floating powership provider Karpowership.
The decision was taken at a special meeting of the energy regulator on Tuesday afternoon. The regulator approved generation licences for Karpowership at Saldanha Bay, Coega and Richards Bay.
Deputy Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane says that South Africa plans to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for a 2 500 MW nuclear programme by the end of March 2022 and complete the procurement in 2024. In an address to the sixty-fifth general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Tuesday, Nkabane reported that government had received positive responses from 25 companies to a request for information issued in June 2020 and stated that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) had concurred with a Ministerial section 34 determination for the procurement.
A court case filed by a losing bidder in South Africa’s emergency power program threatens to delay the provision of the electricity by months as banks balk at providing funding because of the risk of an adverse judgment.
Officials at three of the seven preferred bidders selected to provide power by August 2022 said the lenders are refusing to sign off on the projects until the court case is complete. They asked not to be identified because the talks are confidential.
South African companies Sasol and Imperial Logistics have entered into an agreement to explore options and solutions for decarbonising heavy-duty long-haul trucking, including through the use of fuel cell electric (FCE) trucks fuelled by green hydrogen. Sasol has already announced its intention to play a leading role in the development of a green hydrogen economy in South Africa, and to produce green hydrogen to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors such as freight transportation.
The Department of Public Works and Infrastructure (DPWI) launched its Integrated Renewable Energy and Resource Efficiency Programme (iREREP) by opening its request for information (RFI) on September 20, saying its 30-year lead time is aligned with government’s National Infrastructure Plan 2050 and will be rolled across various DPWI-managed buildings up to 2050. The iREREP’s RFI is intended to test the market for additional ideas and information which comprehensively looks at ways to deliver mutual value through strong partnerships across government and the private sector, Public Works and Infrastructure Minister Patricia de Lille said.
Cabinet has approved a revised – and more ambitious – Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) carbon mitigation target range for 2030 ahead of the upcoming COP26 gathering, which will take place in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. In a statement, Cabinet announced that South Africa had revised its 2030 climate change mitigation target range to 350 – 420 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt Co2-eq) for submission to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
Cabinet has approved the setting up of the multi-purpose nuclear reactor project to replace the current SAFARI-1 nuclear research reactor, owned by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa). The research reactor, located at Pelindaba, west of Pretoria, is a leading global producer of medical radioisotopes used to treat cancer.
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