Eskom’s Hex battery the first of eight utility-scale projects being deployed across four provinces

Eskom has officially started operating the first of eight utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects being introduced as part of Phase 1 of a World Bank-funded programme to add batteries with a combined storage capacity of 199 MW and the ability to discharge 833 MWh of electricity over a minimum of four hours. The project in question is the 20 MW/100MWh Hex BESS site, which has been built on Eskom’s distribution network in Worcester in the Western Cape using batteries supplied by Hyosung, of South Korea.
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South Africa still weighing impact of charging Eskom interest

South Africa is still assessing the effect of adding interest to a R254-billion debt relief package for state-owned Eskom Holdings as the company prepares to split into three, according to a National Treasury official. Treasury announced in last week’s budget that it would convert the loans in the deal announced in February from interest free to interest bearing — at a rate yet to be determined — to better reflect the cost of the arrangement.
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South Africa to miss 2030 emissions goal as it keeps coal plants burning

South Africa will miss its binding 2030 carbon emissions targets under the Paris climate agreement, three senior government officials confirmed, as the country plans to run eight coal-fired power plants for longer than planned. South Africa is the world’s eleventh biggest greenhouse-gas emitter and has one of the world’s highest per capita emissions.
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Lack of curtailment framework holding up renewables round, IPP Office confirms

South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office has indicated that the procurement documentation for both the next public renewables round and a gas-to-power programme are at an advanced stage but the timing of their release to the market is dependent on the conclusion of “various grid optimisation initiatives”, including an updated curtailment framework. Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa revealed recently that Bid Window Seven (BW7) of the renewables programme had been postponed until December and attributed the rescheduling from an already revised released date of September to delays in finalising an update to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).
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NamPower awards R100m contract to ACTOM for new indoor substation in Swakopmund

ACTOM Energy Namibia (AEN) has been awarded a R100-million contract by Namibia Power Corporation (NamPower) to design, manufacture, supply, install and commission specialised switchgear and substation protection and automation systems for a new indoor 132/66/33 kV substation the utility is planning to establish in Swakopmund, Namibia. The new Sekelduin substation, due to be completed in early-2025, is being built to meet increased demand for power resulting from rapid growth of the coastal city and surrounding areas and to cater for future expansion in the region.
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Regulator approves Eskom tariff discounts for ferrochrome groups

The Energy Regulator has approved six-year negotiated pricing agreements (NPAs) for ferrochrome smelters operated in South Africa by both Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture and Samancor Chrome. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) issued a statement on November 6 confirming NPAs had been approved for four of Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture’s ferrochrome operations in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West, as well as for six of Samancor Chrome’s smelter operations in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West.
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Ebrahim Rasool appointed DBSA chair

Former Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool has been appointed the new chairperson of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). His appointment was announced during a post-Cabinet briefing held by Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni on Monday.
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BMW South Africa energy innovation advances Tshwane community’s prospects

Automotive manufacturer BMW South Africa has unveiled a successful solar and battery energy storage pilot project at the Ntshe-Peu Primary School, in Shoshanguve, which incorporates batteries from the automakers X3 plug-in hybrid model vehicles.

The PowerUp pilot project was initiated to use the automotive batteries to provide renewable and high-quality second-life energy storage solutions for schools, as educational activities are often disrupted by loadshedding.

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Nigeria unplugs from dirty generators in sudden solar gamble

Generators are everywhere in Lagos, used by almost everyone in the Nigerian megacity to counteract crippling power outages. Those living in upscale gated communities or working at big companies turn to massive, soundproof diesel generators when the electricity grid inevitably fails. There are the smaller, noisier petrol versions for those who can’t afford to maintain a diesel rig. And at the bottom of the generator hierarchy, found in countless shops and homes, are legions of less capable machines known in Nigerian Pidgin as “I-pass-my-neighbor generators.” The derisive name mocks those who can’t afford even a generator that puts out just enough juice to run fans, turn on lights and charge phones.
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Seventh renewables round delayed to December, Ramokgopa confirms

Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that the next public procurement round for renewable energy, known as Bid Window Seven (BW7), has been delayed until December. Delivering a briefing on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan amid a resumption of loadshedding, Ramokgopa attributed the postponement directly to the delay in updating the draft Integrated Resource Plan, which he said was now at an “advanced stage” and should be published before the end of November.
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