Greater adoption of EVs may be able to help energy grids, panel finds

Electric vehicles (EVs) are increasingly being deployed to solve challenges of air pollution, rising fuel prices and global warming, but also to assist electricity grids as distributed energy sources, making use of large battery packs for more than just mobility.

E-mobility company Next Dimension MD Bjoern Chirstensen says EV batteries can support a multitude of energy applications, including driving, vehicle-to-home power, frequency regulation (as done in Denmark), peak and off-peak arbitration, vehicle-to-load such as power tools, vehicle-to-vehicle power and, importantly for South Africa, load-shedding mitigation.

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Stage 2 load-shedding to continue throughout the week

Power utility Eskom has announced that, owing to insufficient generation capacity and the inability to replenish emergency reserves over the past weekend, Stage 2 load-shedding will continue to be implemented throughout the week of November 8 to 13. Eskom notes that, on November 7, a unit each at the Medupi and Matla power stations had tripped.
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Namibia selects preferred bidder for pioneering $9.4bn green hydrogen project

The Namibian government has stolen a hydrogen march on its larger neighbour South Africa announcing at COP26 the selection of HYPHEN Hydrogen Energy as the preferred bidder for a $9.4-billion green hydrogen project to be developed in the Tsau //Khaeb National Park, near the coastal town of Luderitz, in southern Namibia. HYPHEN is a joint venture between Nicholas Holdings Limited, a strategic investment and infrastructure project developer, and ENERTRAG South Africa, a unit of an independent German energy company that has a portfolio of renewable energy projects and which has also been producing green hydrogen since 2011.
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South Africa tests market appetite for creation of gas import hub at Coega

A request for information (RFI) has been issued to assess the implementation options and market appetite for the creation of a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import hub at the Port of Ngqura, in the Eastern Cape. The RFI is designed as an information gathering exercise to inform a future procurement programme and a deadline of 12:00 on December 3 has been set for responses.
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Northern Cape-based 10 MW solar plant first to exploit broadened wheeling market

A 10 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant developed by renewable energy plant developer SOLA Group, in the Northern Cape, has reached commercial operation three months ahead of schedule, providing clean energy to Amazon Web Services through wheeling into the Eskom grid. The plant comprises over 24 000 bifacial single-axis sun-tracking modules, covering an area of 20 ha.
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City of Joburg makes ready to realise waste-to-energy projects

The City of Johannesburg is considering waste-to-power projects to generate electricity, particularly in times of load-shedding. Environment and Infrastructures Services deputy director Mvuselelo Mathebula mentions in a press statement that key projects have been lined up to divert waste from landfill sites by recycling and using it to generate electricity.
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Stage 2 load-shedding to start at 11:00, situation could worsen over the weekend

Stage 2 load-shedding will start at 11:00 on Friday, Eskom announced Three units at the Kendal power station were taken off and it is anticipated that the fourth and remaining unit will also be shut down. The conveyor belts supplying these units are currently not running due to a power fault.
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Exxaro is open for green business as it participates in COP26

Diversified miner Exxaro Resources, geared with both a Sustainable Growth and Impact Strategy and A Climate Change Response Strategy, hopes to garner investor interest at this year’s COP26 climate change summit.    The company has been setting out to become a principal driver of the just energy transition in South Africa over the past few years, all while targeting carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Amendments demand stringent compliance

With the new amendments to the Carbon Tax Act earmarked to pave the way for developing a national standard to approve offset carbon positive projects and administer these projects on a national database, Economic Development Solutions (EDS) head of business development Eckart Zollner says compliance by companies nationally is important to participate in global markets.
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Mobile e-air compressor suitable for niche markets

Given global demand for carbon-neutral products, industrial equipment manufacturer Atlas Copco Industrial Southern Africa is increasing its range of electric equipment, such as its mobile e-air compressor, says business line manager David Stanford.
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