Employment creation for workers and communities at the highest risk of disruption as a result of the shift to greater climate-resiliency was identified during a gathering of global energy leaders on Wednesday as essential to ensuring that the transition was not only people-centred but also secured popular supported. This “jobs, jobs, jobs” mantra was confirmed by all the participants in a virtual panel discussion convened under the theme of ‘Ensuring a people-centred transitions’, held as part of the larger IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit, hosted jointly by International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Fatih Birol and COP26 president-designate Alok Sharma.
State-owned power utility Eskom on March 31 announced that Unit 3 of the Kusile power station, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, had achieved commercial operation this week. “Bringing the 800 MW unit to commercial status means construction has reached the halfway mark on project,” it said in a statement.
Energy and marine equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä South Africa on March 31 said the country would need more than 28 GW of flexible assets, including more than 21 GW of energy storage and more than 6.8 GW of flexible gas power capacity, to run on 100% renewable energy at the lowest cost. The capacity needed to balance South Africa’s switch to grids powered by intermittent renewables must come from two key technologies, namely energy storage and flexible gas power capacity, capable of running on future fuels. Future fuels can be produced during periods when renewables produce more electricity than is needed, said Wärtsilä Energy South Africa business development manager Wayne Glossop.
South Africa’s draft updated Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) unveiled by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy on March 30, proposes quicker emission cuts, but also outlines the need for a step change in international climate finance to support the country’s transition to a lower-carbon economy. Direct consultations will now be held with stakeholders until the end of May, including with all nine provinces, while written inputs can be submitted to the department up until April 30.
Renewable energy developers are cautiously optimistic about the announcements made by the South African government that Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) is going ahead, but the documents specifying requirements are still not available, says energy, mining, public and private consultancy Economic Development Solutions (EDS) MD Janine Espin. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy last week said it would hold a virtual bidders conference in April to share the relevant information and qualifying criteria with those interested in participating in Bid Window 5.
Renewable energy developers are cautiously optimistic about the announcements made by the South African government that Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) is going ahead, but the documents specifying requirements are still not available, says energy, mining, public and private consultancy Economic Development Solutions (EDS) MD Janine Espin. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy last week said it would hold a virtual bidders conference in April to share the relevant information and qualifying criteria with those interested in participating in Bid Window 5.
A new independent power utility has been established in South Africa to sell electricity directly to private and municipal customers rather than to Eskom. Branded Earth & Wire, the company aims to build a large-scale portfolio of renewable-energy assets and enter into power purchase agreements (PPAs) with its own customers.
Denmark-based wind energy equipment multinational Vestas is optimistic about renewable energy, and specifically onshore wind energy, opportunities in South Africa and more broadly in Africa. “We are also evaluating the potential of South Africa to act as a possible industrial hub towards the Southern and Eastern African markets. The African Continental Free Trade Area, which came into effect in January, presents interesting opportunities, especially for South Africa to view the renewable energy industry and the relevance of support for it through a new lens,” says Vestas South Africa MD Louise Paulsen.
With 86% of the country’s electricity produced from coal, South Africa continued to have the highest reliance on the energy mineral among all G20 countries in 2020, with the global average standing at 34%. The ‘Global Electricity Review 2021’, published on March 29, indicates that the G20 country with the second highest coal dependency is India, which generates 71% of its electricity from coal.
South Africa’s Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, Gwede Mantashe, will co-chair a high-level Ministerial panel this week on ‘Ensuring People-Centred Transitions’ as part of a global ‘Net Zero Summit’ being hosted jointly by International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Fatih Birol and COP26 President Alok Sharma. The panel is one of five to be convened as part of the virtual summit, which will take place on March 31 and will be livestreamed globally.
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