South Africa’s new grid company could be operational by mid-year if licence and lender …

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has hosted public hearings into an application by the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTC) for the three licences it requires to begin operating as an independent subsidiary of Eskom Holdings, in line with the unbundling “journey” first outlined by the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) in 2019. The vertical separation of the grid company from Eskom is seen as a crucial step for levelling the playing field between Eskom Generation and independent power producers (IPPs), as well as for ensuring that sufficient transmission assets are funded and built to facilitate new generation investment.
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OPEC Fund financing clean cooking energy transition in Madagascar

The OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC Fund) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) have signed an agreement to provide a $1.5-million in grant funding for technical assistance support for Madagascar’s National Clean Cooking Transition Programme. The two agencies also signed a declaration to reinforce their partnership in promoting the energy transition and securing access to energy. “We are very pleased to expand our cooperation with UNIDO and to support our flagship clean cooking programme in Madagascar with UNIDO’s vast technical and advisory expertise, which is critical for effective implementation,” enthused OPEC Fund director-general Dr Abdulhamid Alkhalifa.
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GIBS to host a Renewable Energy Dialogue on April 20

The Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) will host a Renewable Energy Dialogue to discuss key issues critical to supporting the efforts to end loadshedding in South Africa on its campus in Illovo, Johannesburg, on April 20. The dialogue will focus on unpacking the executive decision, analytics and strategy consultancy Meridian Economics’ report on ‘Resolving the Power Crisis: Insights from 2022’ and unpack the report on resolving the power crisis by adding more renewable energy into the Eskom power grid.
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Loadshedding has led to job shedding for township businesses, report finds

Almost two-thirds of township businesses have been forced to shed jobs because of loadshedding, according to a new report. But business owners say the situation is even direr – they face closing if the power outages continue. According to the Nedbank Insights Report, conducted in partnership with the Township Entrepreneurs Alliance (TEA), 64% of small township businesses cease operations during loadshedding and almost 66% of business owners have cut jobs because of loadshedding.
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‘Strong indications that criminality played a role here’: Tshwane pylon collapse linked to crime

Criminality was the likely cause of the collapse of seven pylons, which supported 132kV powerlines, on the N4 in Pretoria on Sunday night, according to City of Tshwane Mayor Cilliers Brink. “There are now clear indications that at least three of the pylons had been vandalised. So, indeed, there are strong indications that criminality played a role here,” he said in an update on Monday. 
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