SAWEA urges Eskom to accelerate land designation process in Mpumalanga

The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has reiterated its call for increased power generation from renewable sources as the country buckles under another round of load-shedding.

The association highlights the ample opportunity available for independent power producers (IPPs) to build private generation plants, particularly in Mpumalanga.

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Eskom, Hawks swoop on cable theft syndicate in Mpumalanga

Power utility Eskom reports that its investigators, along with members of the Vosman South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Unit on March 8 arrested at least 14 suspects involved in alleged cable theft. The suspects were arrested during the raid of premises in Vosman, Mpumalanga. Large volumes of cables, comprising aluminium and copper, were found stored on multiple premises, including that of a scrap metal dealer.
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Diesel supply and pricing again under the spotlight as Eskom intensifies cuts to preserve reserves

Eskom has again issued a warning over the supply and pricing of diesel, which it has been consuming at extreme levels in recent days to cover for its underperforming coal fleet, the energy availability factor (EAF) of which has now slumped to below 60%. The State-owned utility deployed its open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) plants well beyond the peak periods for which they are designed on Monday and Tuesday, partly to replenish the upper dams at its pumped-storage schemes.
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IAEA concerned about the situation at Chernobyl nuclear site in Ukraine

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that the remote safeguards monitoring systems at the ruined Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) had ceased transmitting data. Chornobyl, better known by its Russian name Chernobyl, was the location of the world’s worst nuclear accident, in 1986. The Chornobyl site sits in an exclusion zone and contains both decommissioned reactors and radioactive waste facilities. Since February 24, it has been occupied by invading Russian forces. The working shift of some 210 personnel who were on duty at that time have not since been relieved or rotated and have effectively been sleeping at the NPP. Ukraine’s nuclear regulator has told the IAEA that the Chornobyl staff have access to food and water and to limited medication, but that communication was solely by email. All other communications with the NPP were down.    
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Stage 4 load-shedding kicks in on Wednesday morning

Eskom has announced that Stage 4 load-shedding will be implemented from 09:00 on Wednesday morning until 05:00 on Friday.  Thereafter load-shedding will be lowered to Stage 2 until 05:00 on Monday. 
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Women keen to participate in energy efficiency projects – DMRE

Studies indicate that women want to participate in the energy sector, and especially within the energy efficiency sector, both of which currently have poor representation of women, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) gender mainstreaming and transformation national coordinator Winnie Mamatsharaga said on March 8. Speaking in a webinar, hosted by the DMRE, on business opportunities for women in the energy efficiency sector, she said women were unable to compete on an equal footing with men in the energy sector as a result of several factors.
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Portfolio Committee halts plan to hold inquiry into alleged RMIPPPP corruption

The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy has rescinded a decision taken last year to conduct an inquiry into allegations of corruption and malfeasance during the process to appoint preferred bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). This resolution was taken following legal opinion from the Parliament Legal Service Division, which referred to a High Court judgment that dismissed, with costs, an application to set aside the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) decision to appoint preferred bidders for the RMIPPPP.
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Residents of eMalahleni highlight air pollution, health concerns to commission

People in communities next to coal mines and power stations in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, on March 7 told members of the Presidential Climate Commission of their experience of the impacts of air pollution. The commission was holding its first community consultation and, according to civil and environmental organisations Vukani Environmental Movement and GroundWork Friends of the Earth South Africa, many community members said they were suffering from poor health and were concerned for the future of their children.
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Gautrain looking into solar panels to power its stations

Gauteng’s express railway system Gautrain is working on greening its operations, and plans to have solar power solutions for its stations, says CEO of Gautrain Management Agency, William Dachs. Dachs participated in an online discussion hosted by Arena Holdings on the importance of environmental sustainability in business. He shared Gautrain’s efforts to respond to environmental and socioeconomic challenges. Asked about the Gautrain’s plans to adopt greener energy, Dachs shared that two areas are being targeted – the train itself, which is difficult, and its facilities like the stations. Gautrain is working on greening stations currently to get them powered by renewable energy or solar power solutions, as is seen with some shopping malls that rely on solar rooftops.
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ANC sinks Parliamentary ‘witch hunt’ into Karpowership, emergency power contracts

The African National Congress has voted to scrap a planned Parliamentary investigation into the state’s much-delayed plan to fast-track the building of emergency power plants. Parliament’s oversight committee on mineral resources and energy voted in August last year to launch a probe into the Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme, an initiative to add 2 000 MW of new power to SA’s grid quickly. The inquiry’s terms of reference were agreed on in December. The inquiry was set to probe problems relating to the programme as well as allegations surrounding the awarding of a R22-billion contract to Turkish-led consortium Karpowership SA, which faced subsequent litigation.
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