Mantashe wants to ‘refocus’ just energy transition debate as DMRE moves to finalise own policy

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe indicated on Tuesday that his department will seek to “refocus” South Africa’s just energy transition debate as it prepares to finalise its policy on the matter. In an address to the Africa Energy Indaba on Tuesday, Mantashe indicated that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) intended initiating “a wide-ranging public dialogue and consultation process in this year” on its ‘Just Transition Framework for the Energy and Mining Sectors’.
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Cheap South African solar projects face cost challenge to close

Solar projects in South Africa’s latest renewable power procurement round may have difficulty reaching financial close due to issues including rising supply chain costs, according to people familiar with the details. Some of the bids are experiencing trouble ahead of a deadline to complete financing arrangements, according to the people who asked not to be identified because the information is not public. South Africa’s Department of Mineral Resources and Energy expects the projects to close in April.
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Investec Property to build solar rooftop PV plant at Cornubia Mall

Property development company Investec Property will build a 5.25 MW rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at the Cornubia Mall, in Durban, to reduce the mall’s reliance on the grid and ease the pressure on the national power grid. This is a key step in Investec Property’s mission to embrace renewable low-carbon emission technology across its assets, thereby decreasing their environmental impact on society.
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Nuclear corporation extends deadline for research reactor RFI responses

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) announced on Sunday that it was extending the deadline for responses to its Request for Information (RFI) regarding its Multi-Purpose Reactor (MPR) project, by 30 days, to this coming April 8, at 16:00 South African time. The extension is due to, in Necsa’s words, “the excellent global response” to the RFI and to allow the responders additional time so that they could supply more detailed information. The corporation highlighted that the RFI was not focused exclusively on the MPR itself. The RFI was looking at a wide range of components and services. In addition to the nuclear reactor, these were – a neutron beamline centre and associated equipment; facilities for fuel and material testing (by irradiation); the manufacturing of fuel and target plates; and on-site accommodation or lodging.
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South Africa must build resilience to external shocks while decarbonising

If South Africa were to pursue its own version of a Green New Deal (GND), it would need to decarbonise the economy while building resilience to external shocks and stabilising the economy for all, said Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity president Fadhel Kaboub on February 25. He espoused these lofty ideals while speaking at a webinar, hosted by strategic climate change grant-making organisation the African Climate Foundation and climate change and social justice activist organisation Heinrich Böll Foundation, that sought to explore the possibility of a GND for South Africa.
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Bushveld Energy pushing for localisation of VRFB technology

South Africa needs to industrialise further and create more jobs and vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) manufacturing presents an ideal technology for full localisation. Energy storage solutions provider Bushveld Energy is seeking to build a local supply chain for its VRFB technology and is aiming to achieve “extremely high” levels of local content.
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Mantashe says Eskom to seek permission for coal-to-gas switch at some old stations

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says he expects Eskom to make an application soon for a Section 34 determination to facilitate gas-to-power generation at some of the coal power stations that the utility aims to repower and repurpose as part of its unfolding just energy transition strategy. Speaking during an energy dialogue hosted by the Central Energy Fund (CEF) and the Financial Mail, Mantashe indicated that the determination would be “in addition” to the 3 000 MW allocation for gas-to-power in the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP 2019), which outlines the new electricity generation to be introduced to the system by 2030.
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Wescoal puts Vanggatfontein on care and maintenance as it struggles to secure Eskom CSA extension

Coal miner Wescoal has decided to put its Vanggatfontein Colliery on care and maintenance while it tries to secure an extension to a coal supply agreement (CSA) with power utility Eskom. Wescoal acquired the mine, in Delmas, Mpumalanga, in 2017 as part of its buyout of Keaton Energy.
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Indaba ties in with city’s energy plans

With the City of Cape Town being an emerging leader in the new energy space in South Africa, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says hosting the Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) bodes well for the city’s energy plans. “While we want to focus the attention on Cape Town as a tourism and event’s destination, we also want to showcase the innovative work that the city is doing on energy: reducing our reliance on State-owned power utility Eskom, increasing our reliance on renewable power, buying our own independent power and generation capacity and investing in storage. Our plans regarding the procurement of significant renewable power of our own in Cape Town will be publicly released in upcoming weeks.”
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Council to coordinate content at Indaba

The South African Electrotechnical Export Council (SAEEC), supported by the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC), is collaborating with the Africa Energy Indaba (AEI) to profile South African companies in the energy sector at the event. SAEEC is coordinating the engagement between business advisers from Africa with South African companies, and collaborating with AEI organisers regarding content to be discussed at the event.
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