Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project progressing in line with 2025 completion date

Zambezi river hydropower authority the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) reports that it is progressing with work on the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP), which comprises projects to reshape the plunge pool and refurbish the spillway gates.

The KDRP has been ongoing since 2017 and is expected to be completed in 2025.

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Vague Covid-19 policy a hindrance to economic recovery

Diversified professional services firm Ernst & Young Africa CEO Ajen Sita has criticised “vague” government policy on tackling Covid-19, calling for more clarity to steer South Africa out of crisis and towards economic recovery. “We need to decide whether we are going for population immunity – which we may have already nearly achieved – or ramp up vaccination efforts once again. We need a clear strategy, and we need it soon,” he said in a statement on February 7. 
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DMRE’s gas ambitions opposed by activists

Nonprofit shareholder activism and responsible investment organisation Just Share has questioned the wisdom of pursuing a natural gas strategy in South Africa. The organisation has made several technological and economical arguments opposing the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) Gas Masterplan Basecase Report.
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EAIF lends Alten $35m for Kesses solar plant in Kenya

The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) has provided a $35-million loan to Alten Kenya Solarfarms – the Kenyan business of the Alten Group – for the $87-million 40 MW Kesses solar generation facility to be built near Eldoret in the Rift Valley region of Kenya.

The first part of the loan, which is repayable over 15 years, was disbursed in late December.

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Load-shedding reduced to Stage 1 on Friday night

Power utility Eskom will reduce load-shedding to Stage 1 from 21:00 on Friday night until 05:00 on Monday morning. This was thanks in part to a return to service of a generating unit at Kusile, and a recovery of emergency power supplies.
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Hudaco weathers challenging period to record solid full-year performance

Automotive, industrial and electrical consumable products supplier Hudaco Industries recorded good results for 2021 despite it having been a challenging period, CE Graham Dunford said on February 4. He mentioned some of the challenges as including the Covid-19 pandemic, the civil unrest in July 2021 and congestion at the Durban port.
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Nuclear Regulator confirms Koeberg safety compliance and clarifies upgrade process

South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has reported that the country’s (and Africa’s) only operating nuclear power plant (NPP), at Koeberg near Cape Town, had for the past decade complied consistently with regulations concerning occupational exposure and public doses of radiation. The NNR was created in 1999 and exists to protect people, property and the environment from nuclear damage. It does so through the establishment of regulatory practices and safety standards optimised for South Africa, and through oversight and assurance activities. Koeberg is owned and operated by the country’s national State-owned electricity utility, Eskom. It is composed of two reactors, known simply as Units 1 and 2. Unit 1 entered operation in 1984 and Unit 2 in 1985. Each unit has a net generating capacity of 930 MWe. The NPP’s current licensing term will expire on July 21, 2024.
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Eskom’s latest round of load-shedding unpacked

Eskom instituted its first round of load-shedding this week after a short period of reprieve. Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer joins me to discuss the causes of the latest cuts and the prognosis for 2022.  
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Eskom to review need for sustained load-shedding as plant performance improves

Eskom reported a material improvement in the performance of its power stations on Friday morning and indicated that it would review, by 17:00, whether it was necessary for it to sustained load-shedding over the weekend. CEO Andre de Ruyter reported that total unplanned losses had reduced to 11 258 MW, from above 14 000 MW when six-days of Stage 2 load-shedding was declared on Wednesday February 2.
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Hybrid energy systems needed to transition Africa away from coal

A combination of renewables, storage and flexible gas are needed to create a stable and resilient energy system that provides a reliable source of electricity while transitioning away from carbon-intensive coal-fired power, marine and energy technology company Wärtsilä Energy Europe and Africa VP Kenneth Engblom has told Engineering News. “Making such smart strategy decisions will lead to more resilient electricity systems and save billions of dollars in the process,” he said in a February 3 interview.
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