Ceres farmer commissions solar plant that benefits community

A farmer from Ceres Valley has took it upon himself to build a solar plant on his Vadersgawe fruit farm, with excess power to be shared with the Witzenburg municipality.

The 90 ha operation, called El Cuesta Farming, is renowned for its juicy apples, pears and nectarines, which are exported to the UK and other European countries.

/by

Infrastructure market ‘can only get better’, Siemens South Africa CEO avers

Siemens South Africa CEO Sabine Dall’Omo expresses optimism that the country’s much promised infrastructure-led recovery will finally be implemented from late 2021 onwards, describing preparations for the roll-out as impressive. However, she warns that unless the Covid-19 pandemic is brought under control and the mass vaccination campaign expertly implemented, the year will not be the pivotal one required for placing the economy on a new growth path. Dall’Omo acknowledges that South Africa’s depressed infrastructure market “can only get better”, but says the work already done to prepare projects for implementation, as well as the central role given to infrastructure in the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan should eventually ease pressure on infrastructure-linked enterprises, several of which are either in business rescue or have closed.
/by

Eskom to implement Stage 2 load-shedding from 12:00

State-owned power utility Eskom has advised that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from midday on January 14 through to the end of January 17. Eskom says the load-shedding is necessary owing two tripped generation units at the Kusile power station, as a result of failure of the main coal feed conveyor belts supplying coal to the units.
/by

Eskom to implement Stage 2 load-shedding from 12:00

State-owned power utility Eskom has advised that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from midday on January 14 through to the end of January 17. Eskom says the load-shedding is necessary owing two tripped generation units at the Kusile power station, as a result of failure of the main coal feed conveyor belts supplying coal to the units.
/by

Total, Engie seek aid for France’s biggest green hydrogen plant

Total and Engie plan to build France’s largest green hydrogen facility to feed the oil company’s biodiesel plant in the south of the country from 2024, provided they get subsidies to make the project viable. Steelmakers and gasoline and biofuel producers currently make the hydrogen they need from fossil fuels, emitting significant amounts of greenhouse gases in the process. Engie and Total’s project could be part of a first wave of hydrogen production facilities fueled by renewable power as Europe plans to reach net-zero emissions by the middle of the century.
/by

There was no alternative to Eskom’s R1.68bn prepayment to Tegeta, says Koko Matshela

Matshela Koko, the former head of generation at Eskom, told the state capture commission of inquiry that there was nothing wrong with a controversial R1.68 billion pre-payment which the power utility made to Gupta-owned Tegeta Exploration and Resources after the company clinched a coal supply deal in 2015. “I would testify here that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the transaction of the R1.68 billion pre-payment. In fact, it was the only alternative available to Eskom,” Koko said on Tuesday, without explaining the importance of the payment.
/by

Emvelo refinances Karoshoek Solar One stake through TBI’s new fund

Alternative investment and fund management group TBI has concluded its first deal in South Africa through its new Amandla Renewable Energy Fund. As part of the R440-million deal, TBI, along with Momentum Metropolitan Life and Absa, refinanced the existing funding of Emvelo’s 15% stake in the Karoshoek Solar One concentrated solar power (CSP) plant by subscribing for secured redeemable preference shares in the special purpose vehicle that holds Emvelo’s interest in the plant.
/by

Opinion: Renewables in Africa must deliver more than just power

Amid concerns over energy supply, the renewables sector enters a new decade with impetus to boost socioeconomic development, writes Chris Antonopoulos. South Africa has entered a new decade with much to occupy its business community. For Lekela Power, the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy and on the population has been one of our foremost areas of focus. But not far behind that has been the country’s energy security.
/by

Former Eskom manager held ‘secret’ meetings with Tony Gupta over Tegeta contract

Former Eskom manager, Ayanda Ntetha told the Zondo Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday that she had secret meetings with Tony Gupta at his Saxonwold home to discuss a coal supply contract between the power utility and Tegeta, a mining business owned by the politically connected family. Nteta, who was a senior manager in fuel resourcing said she did not tell any of her superiors about the 2015 meetings, an omission she attributed to a lack of trust between her colleagues in the company at the time. Nteta, at the time, was finalising the details of a R3.7 billion contract with Tegeta, which has now been declared by a court to be invalid and set aside.
/by

Danish PM to lead IEA commission on making energy transition people-centered

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced the creation of a high-level global commission, headed by Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, to investigate how to ensure that people are placed at the heart of the unfolding global clean-energy transition. Speaking during a virtual briefing on Monday, IEA executive director Dr Fatih Birol said the other members of the commission would be named in due course and that its recommendations would be released ahead of the delayed COP26 climate negotiations, scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, in November.
/by