Absa completes R5.2bn debt refinancing for three Globeleq power plants

Independent power producer Globeleq and financial services firm Absa have completed the senior debt refinancing of three of Globeleq’s renewable energy power plants in South Africa, the companies said on August 10. The purpose of the refinancing is to enhance the projects’ capital structures, allowing for the release of value to shareholders and the reduction of the tariff to the national utility and, ultimately, consumers in South Africa.
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Explosion damages Medupi’s Unit 4

Power utility Eskom has confirmed that an explosion at the Medupi power station’s Unit 4 generator on August 8 has resulted in extensive damage to the generator. Unit 4 had been on a short-term outage since August 6 and the explosion occurred during the displacement of hydrogen with carbon dioxide and air, respectively, for the purposes of finding an external leak.
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Major new climate report puts pressure on COP26 to ‘consign coal to history’

A landmark report by climate change scientists released Monday is expected to ratchet up the pressure on world leaders to rapidly end the use of polluting fossil fuels. Some of the most important readers of the 3 949-page report by the United Nations-backed Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change—or at least the more manageable “summary for policymakers”—will soon be headed to Glasgow, Scotland, for COP26 climate talks, also organized by the UN. In less than three months’ time, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will host 197 countries for negotiations aimed at limiting global temperature rise, which is already causing wildfires and flooding around the world.
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Renewable-energy-focused entity launched to advance uptake in Africa

African Rainbow Energy and Power (Arep) and Absa have launched a new entity, called African Rainbow Energy – an “African-led, world-class, renewable-energy investment platform”. Arep will make an initial investment of assets covering wind, solar photovoltaic (PV) and biomass projects with an installed capacity of more than 700 MW of renewable energy.
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LHDA calls for tenders for the construction of Polihali dam and appurtenant works

The Lesotho Highlands Development Authority (LHDA) has called for the submission of tenders for the construction of Polihali Dam and appurtenant works under phase 2 of the multibillion rand bi-national Lesotho Highlands Water Project. Interested and suitably qualified tenderers have until November 12, 2021, to submit their proposals.
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Petrochem giant uses tech for greener fuel

In April JSE-listed synthetic fuels and chemicals company Sasol announced it will work alongside a consortium comprising multinational chemical company Linde, renewable energy company Enertrag and investment company Navitas Holdings to bid in concept for the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) under the auspices of the German federal government’s H2 Global Auction Platform.  By working with the consortium, known as LEN, Sasol will be able to collaborate with world class partners on the opportunity, employing its extensive experience in producing liquid fuels and chemicals making use of its Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis technology.
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Nafcoc appeals to Creecy to reconsider Karpowership South Africa’s EIAs

The National African Federated Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Nafcoc) is appealing to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) to reconsider its rejection of the Karpowership South Africa’s (SA’s) environmental-impact assessment (EIA) applications. The EIAs were submitted for three locations – the port of Ngqura, Saldanha Bay and Richards Bay.
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Enel contributing to South Africa’s renewable energy industry, communities

Renewable energy company Enel Green Power (EGP) South Africa is contributing to the country’s renewable energy industry, as well as undertaking various initiatives to uplift communities locally, speakers said during a virtual media roundtable hosted by the company on August 5. EGP has 12 wind and solar plants in South Africa. This entails nine projects in operation and three under construction, EGP South Africa country manager Willian Price outlined.
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Delaying emissions reduction will cost more down the line, climate commission director warns

Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) executive director Dr Crispian Olver says delaying South Africa’s transition away from coal will only add to the final adjustment costs and will also place the domestic business sector at a competitive disadvantage as other countries implement measures to restrict trade in carbon-intensive products. Speaking during a virtual event hosted by the Canadian High Commission this week on the role of the mining sector in the just energy transition, Olver said South Africa’s high energy and emissions intensity made it “extremely vulnerable” to measures such as the European Union’s upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
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City Power clamps down on illegal connections

Johannesburg utility City Power plans to impose steep fines on those who connect to the Johannesburg power grid illegally, in efforts to recoup non-technical losses that amount to about R2-billion a year.

The move also follows the fatal electrocution of two people in Crosby, during which City Power discovered that the house the people were renting had a tampered meter and was missing earth leakage protection.

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