Mantashe restates his positions on energy at conference, but highlights nuclear

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe delivered his third keynote address to his third international energy conference in Cape Town, in as many weeks, on Tuesday. This time it was to Africa Energy Week. Unsurprisingly, the three speeches differed only slightly in content and more significantly in arrangement. In this address, he gave greater stress to nuclear energy than in the previous two versions he had delivered. He highlighted that South Africa’s energy resources included uranium.
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Excelsior wind farm unlocks conservation internship

Utility-scale wind and solar energy producer BTE Renewables’ Swellendam-based Excelsior wind energy facility has partnered with the Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust (ORCT) to help it conserve and protect the rare flora of the area, including the important and critically endangered species it supports.

While linked to biodiversity and overall environment management, BTE Renewables’ Excelsior facility has committed funding to the ORCT that has an added socioeconomic development benefit, through skills development support.

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Just energy investment plan to be released for public comment after COP27 unveiling – Creecy

South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) investment plan, which will seek to unlock $8.5-billion in concessional funding for decarbonisation projects as well as for coal worker and community support programmes, is currently in the Cabinet process ahead of its anticipated launched during the COP27 climate negotiations to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt next month. Addressing a Standard Bank climate conference on Tuesday, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy also reported that the JET-P investment plan, once launched, would be released for public comment.
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African Presidents highlight importance of hydrocarbons as well as renewables for continent

Addressing the Africa Energy Week conference in Cape Town on Tuesday, by means of a pre-recorded video message, Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni expressed pleasure that African countries were now working together on energy. African energy producers had to take advantage of African markets. “Energy is a necessity for the development of any society,” he pointed out. As Africa was the least developed continent it needed energy more than any other continent. And, so far, Africa had been the most responsible continent regarding carbon emissions. The continent should be applauded for this, he suggested.
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Solar is cheapest energy option for Africa, but gas could be valuable

The world was currently in the midst of an energy crisis. This affected countries differently, but it affected all countries. This was highlighted by International Energy Agency (IEA) deputy executive director Mary Burce Warlick in her keynote address to the Africa Energy Week conference in Cape Town, on Tuesday. Coming on the heels of the Covid-19 pandemic, this had increased on the finances of African countries. A consequence of this was that, between 2019 and 2021, according to IEA data, the number of Africans with access to electricity had declined by 4%, or by 25-million people. This was in contrast to the increasing access to electricity recorded between 2013 and 2019. The energy crisis had also driven up food prices.
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Loadshedding until at least Friday, says Eskom, as it announces new schedule

Stage 4 loadshedding will be implemented until midnight on Tuesday. Thereafter, stage 2 will be implemented until 05:00 on Wednesday, Eskom said on Tuesday afternoon.  Stage 3 loadshedding will resume will resume at 16:00 until midnight on Wednesday and this will be repeated on Thursday. 
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Sasol, ArcelorMittal study green hydrogen, carbon capture projects for Saldanha and Vanderbijlpark

JSE-listed group Sasol and ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) have announced a joint development agreement to advance studies into two potential green-economy projects, including the potential production of green hydrogen in Saldanha Bay, which could be used to produce green steel. The two companies will also pursue a Vaal carbon capture and utilisation (CCU) study, whereby renewable electricity and green hydrogen could be used to convert captured carbon from AMSA’s Vanderbijlpark steel plant into sustainable fuels and chemicals.
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Emira completes energy performance certification for 31 buildings

JSE-listed real estate investment trust Emira Property Fund has completed the certification of 31 of its buildings to become compliant with new Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) regulations ahead of the December 7 deadline. The company will also voluntarily certify a further 23 non-mandated buildings by March 31, 2023, says Emira COO Ulana van Biljon.
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Green hydrogen seen competing with LNG within a decade

The cost of clean hydrogen will fall to that of liquefied natural gas in a decade as global efforts to replace fossil fuels accelerate, according to Europe’s biggest operator of gas infrastructure. “Green hydrogen today is not economically competitive against alternative energy sources, which will not be the case in ten years’ time,” Thomas Baudlot, chief executive officer of energy solutions for Asia-Pacific at French utility Engie SA, said in an interview. The fuel is “very much part of the strategy of Engie.”
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Necsa reports much reduced losses and that it is achieving turnaround

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) was successfully turning itself around, the State-owned entity’s CEO, Loyiso Tyabashe, has told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy. He also pointed out that the 2021/2022 financial year (FY) had been a time of transition from Necsa’s previous strategy and corporate plan to a new strategy, focused on growth. At the start of the financial year, Necsa had been forecast to make a loss for the year of R155-million. At the end of the financial year, the loss actually recorded had been much less, at R23.2-million. During the previous financial year, it had suffered a loss of R318.74-million. In FY 2019/2020 the loss had been R190.91-million and in FY 2018/2019, Necsa had seen a loss of R12.46-million.
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