Despite ongoing loadshedding, President Cyril Ramaphosa has moved to highlight some of the implementation progress under the Energy Action Plan (EAP), which marked its first anniversary in late July, including a doubling of rooftop solar installations. The President’s weekly newsletter coincided with the release of a one-year progress report on the EAP, which covers developments under the plan’s five pillars, which include: fixing Eskom and improving the availability of existing supply; enabling and accelerating private investment in generation capacity; fast-tracking the procurement of new generation and storage capacity; unleashing investment by businesses and households into rooftop solar; and transforming the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security.
Renewable energy company G7 has failed to interdict Eskom from applying its new grid access rules. Had the interdict been granted, the progress of new energy projects, both those planned by the private sector and those commissioned to supply Eskom, would have stalled. Judge Basheer Vally dismissed the application for an interdict, with costs, on Monday. Part B of the case – on the substantive issue of Eskom’s authority to change grid rules – is still to be argued.
South African investment management company Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management has successfully closed its R300-million inaugural tax-enhanced renewable energy alternatives investment strategy. It plans to invest the capital alongside South African businesses that install, operate and own small and medium-sized embedded generation solar photovoltaic (PV) projects.
The head of Eskom’s transmission division says he was not surprised by the decision of the Energy Regulator to approve only one of the three licence applications made by the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTC), which is being unbundled from Eskom. However, the Presidency has expressed concern that the decision to process the licence applications separately could delay the operationalisation of the independent grid company, which it views as a priority reform for the embattled sector.
South Africa’s Energy Regulator, the highest decision-making body of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), has approved a 25-year transmission licence for the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTC), which is being unbundled from Eskom. Only a transmission facilities licence was granted during the meeting on July 27, and the regulator indicated that the trading licence and an import/export licence, which had also been applied for by NTC in a bundled application, would be processed separately.
Stage 4 loadshedding will continue to be implemented until 05:00 on Saturday, Eskom has said. Thereafter, various stages of loadshedding will be implemented until 05:00 on Monday. Breakdowns have reduced to 16 686MW of generating capacity while the generating capacity out of service for planned maintenance is 3 966MW. Over the past 24 hours, a generating unit at Camden, Duvha and two generating units at Kendal power stations were returned to service. But in the same period, a generating unit at Medupi and two generating units at Kriel power stations were taken offline for repairs. “The delay in returning to service a generating unit at Kendal, Majuba and two generating units at Tutuka power stations is contributing to the current capacity constraints,” Eskom said.
It’s been another turbulent week on the electricity front, with ongoing high levels of loadshedding, the launch of a law suit against Eskom’s grid queuing rules and false and confusing statements about the decommissioning of Komati. Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the week’s developments.
Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel has launched the Energy One-Stop Shop (EOSS), as well as the Energy Resilience Fund (ERF), as part of efforts to streamline the process of renewable energy project development and to enable more investment. The EOSS is aimed at fast-tracking energy projects, in line with government’s broader effort over the last few years to increase the supply of energy available to the grid.
CEOs from over 115 leading corporations operating in South Africa and which collectively employ 1.2-million people and have a combined market value R11-trillion, have formally pledged to help the country overcome the problems currently undermine inclusive economic growth. The companies operate across all sectors of the South African economy, which is currently characterised by low economic growth, collapsing infrastructure, rampant crime and corruption, and extremely levels of inequality and unemployment.
Universal clean cooking access could be reached worldwide by 2030 with yearly investment of $8-billion, and clean cooking is a cornerstone of global efforts to improve energy access, gender equity, economic development and human dignity, says global body the International Energy Agency (IEA) executive director Dr Fatih Birol. Nearly one-in-three people around the world cook their meals over open fires or on basic stoves, resulting in significant damage to health, living standards and gender equality.
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