Solar technology and engineering expert Sola has launched its first engineering bursary. The bursary will pay for the tuition of a final-year electrical engineering student and provide them with a job opportunity as a graduate engineer in the solar photovoltaic (PV) field.
South Africa’s carbon-heavy fuels and chemicals group Sasol is poised to announce a “substantially higher” target for the reduction of its greenhouse-gas emissions following an intensive period of financial and organisational restructuring during its 2021 financial year. The JSE-listed group took far-reaching actions – including selling $3.8-billion-worth of assets, slashing capital expenditure (capex) and securing savings of more than $2-billion – to deleverage its unsustainable balance sheet without resorting to the $2-billion rights issue initially mooted.
Development finance institution the African Development Bank (AfDB) has reached financial close on financing agreements for a $20-million of concessional investment from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (Sefa) for the Covid-19 Off-Grid Recovery Platform (CRP). The five-year, $50-million CRP blended finance initiative is designed to provide relief and recovery capital to energy access businesses, supporting them through and beyond the pandemic, the bank said on August 15.
The recent Generation Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA) report published by State-owned power utility Eskom shows there is limited available capacity for renewable energy capacity to be connected to the Northern Cape grid, says renewable independent power producer Scatec sub-Saharan Africa GM Jan Fourie. Developers of new solar photovoltaic (PV) or wind projects should rather consider developing infrastructure in other provinces such as the Western Cape, North West, Free State or Limpopo.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) August 12 Gazetting of its amendment to Section 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act has been welcomed by State-owned power utility Eskom and the Western Cape provincial government.
The amendment permits private electricity generators to operate plants of up to 100 MW without a licence from the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which Eskom, in a statement, says is a progressive step that will, over time, greatly assist in the effort to provide reliable and sufficient electricity for the economy.
Industry association the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) mourns the passing of Ntombifuthi Ntuli, the CEO of fellow industry body the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA). SAPVIA described her death as “a tragic loss of a bold and brilliant leader, who was instrumental in South Africa’s energy transition”.
An acceleration in the use of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies and climate change mitigation efforts, growing population numbers and higher electricity demand per capita are all major drivers of electricity market growth and, resultantly, energy storage.
To this end, University of the Western Cape associate Professor Ben Bladergroen believes lithium-ion (li-ion) batteries are the best solution for energy storage and will continue to remain so for the foreseeable future.
Biomass from offcuts from commercial plantations, including recycled orchards and vineyards, and cleared invasive, alien vegetation from river rehabilitation projects can be used as an alternative, clean heating solution, says biomass harvesting company African Biomass Company (ABC) founding partner and MD Willem van der Merwe. He notes that there are 150 000 t/y of unwanted invasive alien trees available in the Western Cape alone.
Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about power utility Eskom’s plans for the repowering and repurposing of the Komati power station as part of a larger just energy transition project and financing plan.
JSE-listed coal miner Wescoal reports that Arnot Opco, in which it holds a 50% stake, has entered into a long-term coal supply agreement (CSA) with State-owned power utility Eskom to supply coal from the Arnot mine, in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, for the next ten years. The CSA marks the conclusion of months of negotiations with the power utility, which commenced mid-2020 following the Arnot Opco incorporation. The initial transaction between Arnot Opco and Exxaro Coal Mpumalanga (ECM) in 2019 was heralded as “one-of-its-kind” by the South African regulatory authorities and was led by retrenched ECM Arnot mine employees, Innovators Resources in partnership with Wescoal. Through the CSA, Arnot Opco will deliver coal to Eskom’s Arnot power station through conveyor belts, thereby reducing costs for both the power utility and the mining company. The first delivery to Eskom is expected this year.
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