Stage 6 loadshedding to continue indefinitely as more units break down

Stage 6 loadshedding will remain in force until further notice, Eskom said late on Thursday. “The extension of loadshedding is caused by further breakdowns of generation units and continued shortage of generation capacity due to delays in returning to service some generation units,” the power utility said.
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Nedbank sees R10bn pipeline of green energy projects

Nedbank Group has increased its green finance pipeline to more than R10-billion as more South African businesses invest in private power generation after the government lifted restrictions to help resolve the country’s energy crisis. “There are very strong pipelines currently in our business and across the country for private sector generation – that is a very large growth sector in an otherwise challenging growth environment,” Nedbank Chief Executive Officer Mike Brown said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Johannesburg. “It is going to take probably two to three years before that connects to the grid and fixes the problem.”
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Ramaphosa underlines commitment to energy and freight reforms as he unveils new R2tr investment …

President Cyril Ramaphosa unveiled a new investment target of R2-trillion for the five-year period to 2028 at the fifth edition of the South African Investment Conference on Thursday, where he also received new pledges from domestic and international investors that enabled him to confirm that the R1.2-trillion target set in 2018 had been exceeded. The event took place in a context of ongoing power cuts, which the President acknowledged were weakening confidence, tainting international perceptions about South Africa and undermining investment sentiment and decisions.
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Eskom’s biggest union demands 15% wage hike as power cuts worsen

The biggest labour union at South Africa’s Eskom Holdings wants a 15% wage increase even as the utility fails to generate adequate electricity to meet the country’s needs, resulting in nationwide power cuts. The National Union of Mineworkers wants the same raise for all workers along with other increases in allowances for housing and other benefits, it said in a copy of the letter to Eskom seen by Bloomberg.
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Emissions from electricity may have already peaked as wind and solar take over

Global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions linked to electricity generation may have peaked in 2022 and will begin to decline as wind and solar power take over from fossil fuels. The pace of the reduction of CO2 emissions’ stemming from the power sector is critical toward limiting global warming and preventing more damage from climate change. According to researchers at climate think-tank Ember, emissions will begin to drop slightly this year, and will get bigger every year as wind and solar grow further.
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Morocco’s OCP borrows $110m to build four solar plants

Morocco’s State-owned phosphates and fertiliser producer OCP said on Wednesday it signed an agreement with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the World Bank’s investment arm, on a €100-million ($110-million) loan to build four solar plants to power its industrial operations. The loan is part of an OCP investment plan worth 130-billion dirhams ($12.8-billion) to increase fertiliser production using renewable energy by 2027.
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