Cape Town readies battery storage, ‘dispatchable IPP’ procurement programmes

The City of Cape Town, which is in the process of procuring up to 200 MW of renewable energy from independent power producers (IPPs), expects to initiate a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) programme in 2023. It is also working on the design of a so-called ‘dispatchable IPP programme’ that could deliver first power in 2026 as part of a broader strategy to improve security of supply and mitigate against intensifying load-shedding.
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Fishing communities welcome enviro dept’s Karpowership decision

Civil society and environmental organisation The Green Connection reports that fishers in the Saldanha Bay, Coega and Richards Bay region were vindicated in their fight to protect their livelihoods against potential environmental damage if ship-borne power stations of Turkey-based powership company Karpowerships was permitted to operate in the area. The Green Connection says fishers were legitimately concerned about the negative impacts these ships would have on the ocean, and that Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy made the right decision in declining Karpowership’s appeal application against its failure to get environmental authorisations to operate in Saldanha Bay, Coega and Richards Bay.
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Ethiopia completes third phase of filling giant Nile dam

Ethiopia has completed the third phase of filling the reservoir for its huge dam on the Blue Nile river, the government said on Friday, a process that continues to irk the country’s downstream neighbours Egypt and Sudan. Addis Ababa says the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), a $4-billion hydropower project, is crucial to powering its economic development, but Egypt and Sudan consider it a serious threat to their vital water supplies.
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UK atomic agency selects engineering consortium to help deliver nuclear fusion project

The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), which is that country’s agency for the development of nuclear fusion power, has selected a consortium, led by design, engineering and project management consultancy Atkins (part of Canada’s multinational SNC-Lavalin group) as prime contractor, to be its engineering delivery partner for its Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) programme. In this endeavour, Atkins is partnered with its frequent collaborator, France-based international engineering services group Assystem. The other members of the consortium are British company Oxford Sigma, which specialises in In-Vessel Component materials technology and safety for nuclear fusion plants, Japanese specialist In-Vessel Component and Tritium company Kyoto Fusioneering, and Ansaldo Nuclear (the UK subsidiary of the Italian Ansaldo Energia group).
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Defaults raise Southern Africa hydro project cost to $5bn

Sovereign defaults by both Zambia and Zimbabwe have escalated the Batoka Gorge hydro-electric project cost, with the estimated price climbing 23% to almost $5-billion. The plan, which is being developed by General Electric and Power Construction Corporation of China, needs credit support, the Zambezi River Authority said in an emailed response to questions. This may be raised through development bank guarantees, government guarantees or partial credit and risk guarantees, the agency, which is overseeing the construction of the project, said.
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Specialists complete inspection project

The benefit of rope access for routine industrial inspection work was again demonstrated when leading rope access specialist Skyriders Access Specialists successfully completed a project for Easigas in Gqeberha in the Eastern Cape.
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Load-shedding poses long-term risks to sector

The ongoing power outages have a significant impact on the agriculture sector – and the wider economy – which holds serious implications for food security and social stability. Industry body Agri SA explains that the extended period of level six load-shedding threatens the viability of the sector while an escalation to level seven and higher would be catastrophic and pose a risk to the country’s national security. 
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AECI Much Asphalt to pioneer low carbon asphalt production

South African chemicals group AECI Much Asphalt and carbon negative materials producer Origin Materials have launched a programme to create a novel low-carbon bitumen that is expected to create considerable value in the developing African market.
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