Kangnas Wind Farm signs ecological agreement to protect biodiversity

The Kangnas Wind Farm, in the Northern Cape, has signed an ecological agreement with the Department of Agriculture, Environmental Affairs, Rural Development and Land Reform, to compensate for any biodiversity impact from the project. The long-term agreement improves the viability of biodiversity and its associated habitats by creating an expansive protected area, which far exceeds the wind farm’s footprint, and delivers a range of benefits.
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Zikalala says infrastructure repairs progressing

The South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) has started with the construction of a temporary detour route near the N2 in uMkhomazi and Umgababa in the north of Durban. This will allow flow of traffic from the south to the north of Durban, which has been blocked since the floods in April.
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Eskom questions assertion that it is delaying IPP projects

Eskom insists that it is processing budget quotes for independent power producers (IPPs) seeking to connect to the national grid, in line with agreed timelines, and that it is making every effort to debottleneck the process so that much-needed new generation capacity can be introduced speedily. COO Jan Oberholzer indicated during a load-shedding briefing that the utility was seeking clarity from both the IPP Office and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy regarding recent statements indicating that financial close on 25 wind and solar projects had been delayed from the end of April to accommodate the issuing of budget quotations by Eskom.
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South Africa seeks to make climate finance deal global benchmark

South Africa’s planned $8.5-billion climate finance deal with some of the world’s richest nations could serve as a blueprint for other coal-dependent countries, the head of its negotiating team said. The potential funding, which will be made available over three to five years, was announced at the COP26 climate talks in Glasgow in November. Under the arrangement, the US, UK, Germany, France and European Union plan to provide finance to help the country cut its use of coal, which is used to generate more than 80% of its electricity.
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Gauteng municipality targets 323 businesses that allegedly owe around R312m for electricity

The financially-strapped Emfuleni municipality started a revenue collection drive by cutting defaulters’ electricity in a bid to get them to pay up if they want to be reconnected. Since the campaign was launched on Monday, several government departments – such as the Labour Department and a SAPS training centre – were plunged into darkness.
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