As govt prepares to pull trigger on battery tender, talks on design of next renewables round advance

The request for proposals for the procurement of 513 MW of battery energy storage capacity will be released before the end of February, the National Energy Crisis Committee’s (NECOM’s) Rudi Dicks confirmed on Friday. All the necessary approvals had been secured from the National Treasury for the IPP Office to proceed with the tender, he reported.
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Eskom denies tipping into Stage 8 loadshedding, but confirms revised framework could go up to …

Embattled State-owned utility Eskom has denied having implemented either Stage 7 or Stage 8 loadshedding during what it acknowledged to have been a “tough week”, during which it reported power cuts exceeding 7 000 MW over some evening peaks. Each stage of loadshedding typically equates to 1 000 MW.
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Mpumalanga govt, partners to reduce coal dependency

The Mpumalanga Provincial Government is, in partnership with the Presidential Climate Commission, the Climate Investment Fund and the World Bank, exploring plans to diversify local economic activity to reduce its dependency on coal. Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane noted during her provincial State of the Province Address that the aim of the partnership was to ensure the re-skilling and upskilling of the most vulnerable in the labour force and to provide support for small businesses and …
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De Ruyter must not ‘throw a stone in the bush and hope an animal will run out’ – Mantashe

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says that former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter “must not throw a stone in a bush and hope an animal will come out” – he must name the politicians he claimed were corrupt.  Mantashe was briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on mineral resources and energy on Friday. He was asked by MPs to respond to the claims by De Ruyter in a recent interview, in which it was alleged that “a top politician” was involved in corruption at Eskom.
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Business wants govt to urgently address Eskom corruption

Business is urging government and the appropriate State agencies to urgently investigate and take action regarding Eskom corruption, following the recent allegations made by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. Business Unity South Africa (Busa) and Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) said the allegations bought into serious doubt the ability of Eskom to appropriately manage its resources, including substantial additional resources allocated in the recent Budget.
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Musina-Makhado SEZ, USAID to launch a renewable energy strategy

Limpopo’s proposed mega-industrial complex the Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (SEZ) will, in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launch a Renewable Energy Strategy in March. The strategy would serve as a blueprint to guide investments in the province’s energy cluster, while promoting sustainable development, Limpopo Premier Stanley Chupu Mathabatha noted during his State of the Province Address on February 23.
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LED lighting solution for university auditorium

Lighting manufacturer BEKA Schréder has supplied the light-emitting diode (LED) lighting solution for the new auditorium at the Ga-Rankuwa Campus of tertiary institute Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), located in Pretoria in Gauteng. TUT is the largest contact university in South Africa, providing quality education to more than 60 000 students every year. The university has seven faculties and nine campuses.
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Solar fitting illuminates loadshedding shadows

Ongoing loadshedding has put significant pressure on the South African building industry, as productivity can be affected if companies do not have backup power or reliable alternative lighting solutions. It also causes significant damage to electrical products, resulting in them failing unexpectedly and prematurely.
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Mavuso, Ackerman question efficacy of ‘Mafia State’ to turn the economy around

Realistically, South Africa will not see meaningful gross domestic product (GDP) growth within the next five years, Citadel Investment Services advisory partner and chief economist Maarten Ackerman has said. He spoke alongside Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso during a post-budget event hosted by auditors KPMG on February 23.
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CEF hits out at De Ruyter for ‘wild allegations’ about Russian involvement in SA gas power plans

The Central Energy Fund (CEF) has lashed out at former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter for speculating that Russia could be involved in its plans to take over soon-to-be-decommissioned plants and turn them into gas power stations. The CEF said it was “unfortunate” that it was put in a position where it had to respond to De Ruyter’s allegations.  
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