A new forum comprising Eskom, Transnet and domestic industrialists is to be established to improve collaboration between the two large infrastructure-focused State-owned companies and domestic manufacturers and suppliers. The initiative was unveiled by Ministers Pravin Gordhan and Ebrahim Patel in their respective Budget Votes on May 20 and comes at a time when domestic industry is warning that inadequate and erratic demand, together with power cuts and collapsing freight logistics, pose a threat to manufacturing entities and their employees.
State-owned power utility Eskom this week revealed that it had implemented repairs and fixes to generation Units 1 to 3 at the Medupi power station, and that the units are operating at full load, producing 720 MW of electricity each. Unit 4, which was damaged in a generator explosion, after hydrogen (used to cool the shaft) mixed with air instead of carbon dioxide during a purging process, will be brought online in August 2024.
A day after Eskom confirmed incidents of sabotage at its Tutuka power station, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan alleged that another incident of sabotage had taken place at the Hendrina power station. The Hendrina incident raises to six the number of incidents of suspected sabotage that have been reported to the South African Police Service since March 2021.
Two further suspicious incidents at Eskom power stations on Thursday and Friday, just a day after Eskom confirmed two acts of sabotage at its Tutuka Power Station, have increased fears that an orchestrated sabotage campaign is under way to prevent a halt to load-shedding. In the early hours of Friday, Eskom officials at Hendrina Power Station were unable to start up unit five and upon inspection found that during the night copper bars on the unit’s generator had been removed, and reactor earth bars, had also been removed.
Eskom says a shortage of generation capacity has persisted, and Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 17:00 to 22:00 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “As previously communicated, due to the continued shortage of generation capacity Stage 2 load shedding will be implemented from 17:00 until 22:00 [on Friday]. Load shedding will be repeated at the same time on Saturday and Sunday evenings. Eskom will continue to closely monitor the system, adjust and communicate any changes as may be necessary,” it said in a statement on Friday morning.
Aim- and AltX-listed energy developer Kibo Energy has appointed Cobus van der Merwe group CFO and Pieter Krügel CEO of Kibo subsidiary Mast Energy Developments, effective June 1.
Van der Merwe brings to the position more than a decade of experience in managerial and executive roles in the investment management and energy, utilities and resources sectors.
A group of the world’s richest nations offered South Africa debt guarantees as part of a proposed $8.5-billion deal designed to cut the nation’s reliance on coal for power generation, people familiar with the talks said, potentially resolving one sticking point in the negotiations. The guarantees would enable South Africa or companies such as state power utility Eskom Holdings to borrow money needed to close down coal-fired power plants and enable the generation of renewable energy, one of the people said. The people asked not to be identified as the talks aren’t public.
Swedish energy storage specialist Polarium has opened a lithium-ion battery assembly plant in Montague Park, Cape Town. The facility is the group’s third in the world, with the other two plants in Mexico and Vietnam.
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