Voith equips 2 GW Angolan hydropower plant

Technology group Voith reports that it has received an order to supply equipment for the large-scale hydropower plant Caculo Cabaça in Angola.

The order comprises all electrical and mechanical equipment, including the installation of four Francis turbines with an output of 530 MW each, an additional Francis turbine with an output of 52 MW, generators, control and auxiliary systems and a customised training concept.

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ENGIE acquires BTE Renewables, grows portfolio to 1.6 GW in SA

Independent power producer ENGIE has successfully acquired renewable energy company BTE Renewables in South Africa following the transaction, announced in June, reaching financial close on December 13.

With this transaction concluded, ENGIE, with the inclusion of BTE, will now operate 1.6 GW of assets in South Africa.

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AfDB approves $9.72m grant to modernise African hydropower

The African Development Bank- (AfDB)-managed Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), on November 21, approved a $9.72-million grant to scale up the Africa Hydropower Modernisation Programme (AHMP) – a one-stop shop that overhauls African hydropower systems to enhance their reliability and flexibility.

With this new funding, AHMP will expand the modernisation of a pipeline of 12 private-sector-led projects in eight countries selected through a competitive process.
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Eskom Soot Pollution is at a 31-year-high, 42 Times Worse Than China

Coal-fired power plants operated by South Africa’s state utility are emitting pollutants that primarily cause respiratory diseases such as asthma at almost 42 times the intensity of those in China.

Eskom Holdings, in the second week of December, said in the six months through September, particulate matter emissions deteriorated to 0.92 kg per MWh sent out – the highest since 1992, according to the utility.

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Nersa grants Envusa Energy trading licence

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved an electricity trading licence for Envusa Energy – a joint venture between diversified miner Anglo-American and renewable energy company EDF Renewables South Africa (EDF).

In November, Envusa lodged an application for a licence to trade electricity in South Africa’s Northern Cape, North West, Eastern Cape and Limpopo provinces over the Eskom network.

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DMRE extends public commentary for draft SANPC Bill

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has extended the timeframe for submissions of public comments on the draft South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) Bill, published in government gazette number 49711, of November 13, to January 15, 2024.
 
The Bill, according to the DMRE, aims to establish the SANPC, ensure proper governance and to consolidate and transfer assets of the company in line with the relevant legislation, with the DMRE Minister – currently Gwede Mantashe – as the sole shareholder of the company.
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Solar-powered e-truck sets new altitude record

A team of explorers – the Gebrüder Weiss Peak Evolution Team – followed through on successfully setting a new world altitude record for electric vehicles after driving an electric truck to an altitude of 6 500 m above sea level, mid-December.

The team drove up to the western ridge of Ojos del Salado, in Chile – the highest active volcano on Earth – in their truck powered exclusively by solar energy.

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Construction of 216 MW solar, 500 MWh battery plant starts

The construction of a major hybrid renewables project in South Africa, comprising a 216 MW solar plant and a 500 MWh battery storage system to manage the intermittency of solar production, has been launched by diversified energy company TotalEnergies and its partners.

The project, located in the Northern Cape, will supply dispatchable renewable electricity to the South African national grid for 20 years, equivalent to over 400 GWh a year.

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Project achieves financial close

Independent power producer EDF Renewables achieved commercial and financial close on its Umoyilanga project on November 28, 2023, reaching commercial close with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE), and then concluding financial close with financial institutions Nedbank, RMB and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. This was consequent to its attaining legal close on August 30, 2023, with the signing of the power purchase agreement (PPA) with State-owned power utility Eskom, and the implementation agreement (IA) with the DMRE, for the hybrid renewable-power facility to be built in South Africa.
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Energy company driving global move to renewables

In South Africa, global renewable-power producer Scatec has initiated numerous projects under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme contributing towards a more sustainable energy grid. The company says that as a major player in the renewables space, its role extends beyond simply providing renewable-energy solutions.
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