The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has moved to clarify a statement made by Minister Gwede Mantashe that a Bid Window Five (BW5) project under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) had reached financial close earlier this week. Mantashe made the statement in response to a question posed during a briefing held to provide an update on the implementation of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, which includes energy security as a priority intervention.
South African power utility Eskom expects a final decision on a new $476 million World Bank loan to repurpose its Komati coal-fired power plant into a renewable station before November’s COP27 climate summit, CE Andre de Ruyter said on Friday. The money will be used for three packages, which includes decommissioning certain parts of the 1 000 MW Komati power plant that is currently only using one unit to despatch 125 MW of power when needed, as Eskom battles its worst period of power cuts since it started more than a decade ago.
In continuing efforts to digitize its customers, energy management and automation specialist Schneider Electric’s connected products can communicate well with each other on its digital platforms, as well as those of third parties, says Schneider Electric global marketing director Quintin McCutcheon. He speaks to Creamer Media at Electra Mining.
South African state power utility Eskom said it was extending rotational power cuts until Monday due to plant breakdowns causing a persistent shortage of generation capacity. Eskom said it would implement “Stage 4” power cuts until 05:00 local time (0300 GMT) on Sunday, and thereafter “Stage 3” until 05:00 on Monday.
State-owned power utility Eskom is developing a crowdsourcing digital platform to allow it to supplement its existing skills base to help address its operational challenges. It has invited organisations and individuals, including experienced engineers and technical experts, to participate. The platform will act as a skills database for Eskom to acquire additional expertise and to resolve its urgent business needs.
A proposal by wealthy nations to mobilise $8.5-billion for South Africa to help reduce its dependence on coal has proved more complex than anticipated, which has stalled its implementation. The money was offered to South Africa at United Nations climate talks in Glasgow last year under a deal that was seen as a possible blueprint for helping other coal-reliant developing countries transition to using cleaner energy. Details of the types of financing that will be made available and the terms and conditions attached to it are still being hashed out, along with South Africa’s investment plans, said Barbara Creecy, the nation’s environment minister.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says the government is looking at reopening bid window 5 of the renewable energy independent power producer programme (REIPPP) in light that most projects have failed to reach financial close. Bid window 5 is a critical part of the plan to end SA’s power shortage. The bidding closed in 2021, and it aimed to add 2 583 MW to the grid within the next two years. But, global events – such as the war in Ukraine and increased demand for renewable energy and storage components – have radically altered the input costs on which the bidders based their prices.
South Africa’s government is bracing for more frequent and longer electricity outages as the state-owned power utility’s aged and poorly maintained plants continue to deteriorate. The nation has been subjected to rolling blackouts, known locally as loadshedding, since 2008, with 4 000 MW of capacity currently being cut from the grid to ensure it doesn’t collapse. The ongoing energy shortages were a major contributor to the economy’s 0.7% contraction in the second quarter.
After updating some key cost assumptions, Eskom has confirmed that it will be applying for a 32% tariff hike for implementation on April 1, 2023. The State-owned utility is also applying for a 9.74% increase for its subsequent financial year. The increases are outlined in an addendum to Eskom’s fifth multiyear price determination (MYPD5) application, which contains changes to various key assumptions, including those relating to the cost and use of diesel for its open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), as well as independent power producer (IPP) costs.
Developing nations expect rich countries to commit more funding to adapt to global warming and a financing mechanism to help them cope with natural disasters when they meet at the COP27 climate summit in November, South African Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said. Creecy was one of the prominent African voices before the COP26 event in Glasgow last year. She’s demanded affluent nations that have emitted the bulk of the world’s climate-warming gases commit more assistance to those most affected by the impact of rising temperatures.
INDUSTRY NEWS
- IMF urges South Africa to prioritise ongoing electricity and logistics reform to enhance …November 27, 2024 - 5:04 pm
- Eskom reports successful conversion of its prepaid customer base to KRN 2November 27, 2024 - 12:04 pm
- Eskom welcomes S&P rating upgrade to positive from stableNovember 27, 2024 - 11:04 am
WHERE TO FIND US
Address
9 Yellow Street
Botshabelo Industrial Area
Botshabelo, Free State
Call / Email Us
Tel: +27 (0) 51 534 1651
Email: info@transfix.co.za
