South Africa’s green hydrogen ‘first mover’ opportunity based on three structural advantages

South Africa has three favourable structural characteristics that potentially give it a “first mover advantage” to become a global green-hydrogen leader, Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler argued in his address during a ‘Hydrogen Economy Discussion’ facilitated by well-known mining personality Bernard Swanepoel. The first advantage relates to South Africa’s and Southern Africa’s large-scale, high-quality renewable-energy potential.
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Ukrainian, US companies enter agreement to build new nuclear reactor

Ukrainian nuclear energy company Energoatom has signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with US nuclear manufacturing company Westinghouse, for the completion of the former’s Khmelnitsky nuclear power plant (NPP) unit 4, using the latter’s AP1000 reactor technology, World Nuclear News has reported. Khmelnitsky 4 was originally intended to be a Russian-technology VVER design but its construction was halted when it was only 28% complete. Construction of the new unit would be significantly accelerated by the fact that major AP1000 reactor components had already been built and were currently stored in the US, in a facility in the state of South Carolina. These components have been inspected by a delegation from Energoatom, including its acting director (head), Petro Kotin.
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Absa achieves compliance with new building energy performance requirements

Financial services provider Absa is the first bank to achieve compliance with the country’s new building energy performance regulations, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) reports. In December 2020, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) gazetted ‘Regulations for the Mandatory Display and Submission of Energy Performance Certificates for Buildings’.
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One-of-a-kind electricity forum to hold inaugural event this month

The inaugural Electricity Forum will be held on September 28 and 30 and will kick off a multi-stakeholder drive to turn the country’s multiple power challenges into opportunities to spur growth, investment and jobs. The initiative is being spearheaded by the Manufacturing Circle, which has partnered with the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), to bring to fruition the one-of-a-kind initiative to boost manufacturing by catalysing the initiatives required to tackle the country’s crippling electricity constraints.
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World’s largest plant capturing carbon from air starts in Iceland

The world’s largest plant that sucks carbon dioxide directly from the air and deposits it underground is due to start operating on Wednesday, the company behind the nascent green technology said. Swiss start-up Climeworks, which specialises in capturing carbon dioxide directly from the air, has partnered with Icelandic carbon storage firm Carbfix to develop a plant that sucks out up to 4 000 t/y of carbon dioxide (CO2).
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Masondo raises R146bn South Africa debt forgiveness

David Masondo, South Africa’s deputy finance minister, suggested that investors forgive about R146-billion of sovereign debt in exchange for the national power utility meeting climate targets. In order to transition from the use of coal to generate electricity to renewable energy Eskom Holdings will need to borrow about R400-billion, equal to its current debt, and will need a “complementary transaction” to achieve that, he said in a speech on Tuesday.
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South Africa’s updated NDC climate pledge to be released ‘very soon’

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reported on Tuesday that South Africa’s revised Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), which is to be deposited with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change later this year, is close to being finalised and will be presented to lawmakers “very soon”. In a briefing of the Portfolio Committee on Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, on the country’s preparations ahead of the COP26 climate negotiations scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, in early November, Creecy reported that her department was in the process of synthesising the comments received during the public comment period, including those made by the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC).
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Mantashe appoints new Nersa CEO

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has appointed Advocate Nomalanga Petronella Sithole as CEO and full-time regulator member of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). Sithole’s appointment is for a five-year period, effective from August 25.
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DTIC establishes metering association

The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) has established the South African Metering Industry Association (Samia).

Since the designation of both residential electricity and water meters have created employment, and has benefited component manufacturing industries, the DTIC thought it well to establish the association.

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ANC offers strong endorsement of Eskom’s just energy transaction following lekgotla

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the African National Congress (ANC) has given its backing to the just energy transaction being pursued by State-owned electricity producer Eskom. In closing remarks following the NEC’s September lekgotla, ANC president Cyril Ramaphosa said that the lekgotla welcomed the detailed planning Eskom had done for a just energy transaction at one power station, which “would ensure that workers and community wellbeing was assured and advanced in this process”.
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