More Eskom arrests as coal truck driver, supervisor apprehended at Matla station

A truck driver and his supervisor were arrested for allegedly swapping out good-quality coal, and delivering sub-standard product to Eskom’s Matla power station on Monday. “The arrests took place after the truck driver was found to be in possession of sub-grade coal destined for the facility. The coal swapping allegedly took place at a known illegal coal yard in the Mpumalanga area, prior to the delivery being made at the Matla power station,” Eskom said on Wednesday.
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Six-month ban imposed on export of copper scrap as South Africa seeks to combat theft

The South African government has imposed a six-month ban on the export of copper and copper-alloy scrap, as well as most ferrous scrap as part of the first phase of a three-phase intervention designed to combat the rampant theft of metals used in public infrastructure. The economic damage of ongoing theft and vandalism has been estimated at R47-billion and has amplified both loadshedding and the disruption of freight and passenger rail services.
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African battery pioneer Freedom Won riding loadshedding-fuelled growth wave

South African battery storage pioneer Freedom Won, which is on a rapid, loadshedding-fuelled expansion path, is ramping up production at its newly expanded 15 000 m2 factory in Honeydew, Gauteng, to exceed the current production of 50 MWh of batteries every month – enough energy storage to support around 5 000 South African households in combination with solar power. The latest expansion, which is unlikely to be its last, forms part of an ongoing upscaling of the enterprise that belies its humble beginnings in 2009, when cofounders Antony English and Lizette Kriel decided to establish a company with some initial funding support from family members.
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Guards arrested for stealing thousands of litres of diesel at Eskom power station

Two security guards employed by a company contracted by Eskom to protect the Port Rex power station in East London were arrested on Monday for allegedly stealing almost 6 000 litres of diesel. According to Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha, the guards were arrested while on duty. The stolen diesel is valued at just under R146 000.
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Public, private sectors must pursue sustainable options to plug energy deficit – PwC

Professional services firm PwC South Africa’s eleventh and final South Africa Economic Outlook report for the year, coming in the wake of the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties (COP27), focuses on opportunities and actions to improve power supply and energy sustainability in the country. Earlier this month, some PwC Africa leaders attended COP27 in Egypt and observed that providing clear evidence of decarbonisation is a powerful differentiator for organisations in an environment where having such targets is merely a licence to operate.
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South Africa faces decade of blackouts without gas, Wartsila says

Wartsila Oyj, a Finnish company that makes power plants, expects South Africa to face electricity outages for at least another decade unless it installs as much as $8 billion worth of gas-fired generation capacity. The outages stem from state power utility Eskom Holdings’ failure to adequately invest in new capacity and the maintenance of 14 operating coal-fired power plants. The energy shortages have been exacerbated by the slow ramp up of its two newest plants.
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Embedded generation project pipeline stands at 9 GW – Ramaphosa

President Cyril Ramaphosa reports that the pipeline of confirmed private embedded generation projects has increased to 100 with a total combined capacity of around 9 000 MW. The President confirmed the figure in a series of written responses to Parliamentary questions posed by Democratic Alliance permanent delegate to the National Council of Provinces from the North West, Carin Visser.
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Bushveld Energy enters reverse takeover deal through the sale of VRFB-H

Aim-listed Bushveld Minerals’ 84%-owned subsidiary Bushveld Energy has entered into a conditional agreement to sell its entire 50.5% interest in Vanadium Redox Flow Batteries Holdings (VRFB-H) to special purpose acquisition company Mustang Energy.

VRFB-H’s main asset is a 50% interest in Enerox Holdings, which, in turn, holds the entire issued share capital of Enerox, an Austria-based vanadium redox flow battery manufacturer.

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Nersa calls for comments on gas, renewable energy and hydrogen partnership strategy

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has invited stakeholders to provide written comments on the issues raised in the consultation document concerning the development of the strategy for a gas, renewable energy and hydrogen partnership in South Africa. The consultation document is intended to assist Nersa in soliciting stakeholder views and perspectives on the prospects of achieving a coordinated development of gas alongside renewable energy and hydrogen in the country’s energy markets.
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Zimbabwe power shortage to worsen as hydro plant halts generation

Zimbabwe’s prolonged power shortage is set to worsen after the entity that manages southern Africa’s biggest dam ordered suspension of electricity generation at its main hydro plant because of a water shortage. In a letter dated November 25 and seen by Reuters, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) told the Zimbabwe Power Company that the Kariba South hydropower station had used more than its 2022 water allocation and that the Kariba Dam’s usable storage was only 4.6% full.
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