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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Solarise raises $33.4m to expand in Kenya, other African countries

Energy services company Solarise Africa has signed a $33.4-million multi-country commercial and industrial facility with the Facility for Energy Inclusion (FEI) to obtain the necessary funding and flexibility to substantially expand its portfolio in Kenya and other selected African countries. “Throughout 2022, we have significantly grown our footprint and portfolio, and, with this new loan, we will be able to catapult our efforts to advance renewable energy adoption in Africa,” says Solarise Africa CEO and co-founder Jan Albert Valk.
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H2-Industries, Terra Sola sign MoU to provide green power in Africa

Global hydrogen generation and energy storage solutions company H2-Industries has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Swiss developer of integrated renewable energy projects Terra Sola Group. The agreement supports Terra Sola’s development of tailor-made, large-scale integrated solar energy programmes for selected countries across Africa using H2-Industries’ liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) technology to provide technological solutions for the storage and release of electrical power for export, use as a local industrial feedstock or for grid stabilisation and/or off-grid power availability.
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Company produces first local EV truck

Electric vehicle (EV) solutions provider Applied Electric Vehicle Energy Reticulation Systems Africa (Aeversa) subsidiary Iron Energy is nearing the completion of the first locally assembled 8 t electric commercial truck. The truck is a multiplatform EV drive train that is chassis agnostic – the drive train can be used in various ladder frame and chassis vehicles.
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Hydrogen engine paves way for net-zero targets

Power technology provider Cummins released its zero-carbon hydrogen internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) concept truck, powered by the B6.7H hydrogen engine, at this year’s International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) transportation conference, which was held from September 20 to 23 in Hannover, Germany. The engine is expected to be released for mass production in 2027, but is going to be produced on a limited scale from 2023.
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Stefanutti sees opportunities in various sectors, swings to interim profit

JSE-listed construction group Stefanutti Stocks reported a profit of R9.25-million for the six months ended August 31, compared with a loss of R188.48-million posted for the six months ended August 31, 2021. Contract revenue from continuing operations decreased to R2.87-billion for the interim period, from R3.15-billion in the prior comparable period, but operating profit improved to R54.03-million, compared with R8.93-million in the prior period.
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Loadshedding to be downgraded thanks to diesel from PetroSA

Thanks to diesel supplied by PetroSA, Eskom will be able to reduce load shedding to Stage 3 from Stage 4 during the night, Eskom said. This is expected to last until Monday morning.  The lifeline from PetroSA was supplied after Eskom recently ran out of funds to pay for diesel, which it uses to supplement generation capacity.
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New govt report calls for ‘solid timeframes’ for updating of IRP2019

A new report into the progress government is making in implementing the current five-year Medium-Term Strategic Framework, from 2019 to 2024, has confirmed that energy unavailability represents the single biggest risk to doing business in South Africa, by undermining investor confidence and constraining industrialisation. It also concludes that government should commit to “solid timeframes” for the review of the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP2019) so that electricity demand projections and generating scenarios are more aligned to prevailing circumstances, which have changed materially since the publication of the IRP2019.
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Opinion: Koeberg life extension could flip switch on half a trillion rands of economic damage

In this opinion article, energy analyst and commentator Clyde Mallinson warns that, against the backdrop of persistent and erratic loadshedding, the economic cost of shutting the Koeberg nuclear plant for the extended maintenance that is scheduled to begin within days could be R622-billion, or higher. Having raised these concerns directly in a letter* to the new Eskom board, Mallinson outlines in this article how he has arrived at this cost calculation.
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