Untapped renewable resources in Africa should receive more attention – RES4Africa

As the majority of the world embraces a shift in electricity generation away from fossil fuels towards greener, renewable sources of energy, Africa faces several challenges in attracting investment capital to undertake a significant energy transition, renewable energy support foundation Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa (RES4Africa) secretary general Roberto Vigotti stated on April 19.

Speaking during the first of RES4Africa’s Online Lab series, he said Africa’s energy sector was faced with five main decisions about its green energy trajectory, including its ambitions to achieve universal access to energy, meeting energy demand growth and building a reliable power system.

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Standard Bank online platform is supporting customers seeking to adopt solar energy

South African financial institution Standard Bank has highlighted that its online “home knowledge hub” LookSee provides extensive information regarding the choice, installation, financing and support of solar power systems for homeowners. (Standard Bank is not to be confused with UK-based multinational Standard Chartered Bank; the former ceased to be a subsidiary of the latter in 1987.) “Sunny South Africa gets more than 2 500 hours of sunshine a year and it ranks among the top three countries in the world in average direct solar radiation,” pointed out Standard Bank digital and eCommerce head Andrew van der Hoven. “Furthermore, as an infinite resource, solar power doesn’t just offer a way to keep the lights on, it also helps the environment by greatly reducing carbon emissions.”
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Eskom’s plan to bypass pollution controls could kill hundreds, study shows

A plan by South Africa’s state power utility to circumvent pollution controls at one of its two biggest coal-fired plants to enable it to bolster its generation capacity may lead to hundreds of deaths, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA). Eskom Holdings’ application to partially bypass its flue-gas desulfurization unit at the Kusile station for just over a year could see it emit 280,000 extra tons of sulfur dioxide, while mercury emissions would jump 40%, the Helsinki-based pollution research nonprofit said in a report sent to Bloomberg News. It estimates that about 680 people could die as a result.
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Salga makes suggestions regarding debt relief for municipalities

The South African Local Government Association (Salga) has acknowledged with concern the debt spiral that both State-owned utility Eskom and municipalities currently face. Municipalities were owed R306-billion as at December 31, 2022, while municipalities, in turn, owe Eskom R56.3-billion.
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Ramaphosa calls urgent Cabinet meeting to discuss new plan for old coal power stations

President Cyril Ramaphosa will chair a special Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to examine a plan by electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to slow the decommissioning of old coal power stations as the country battles with energy supply. News24 understands that the special Cabinet meeting was called after the African National Congress’ (ANC’s) national working committee (NWC) on Monday approved a plan that would slow down the retirement of old coal power stations. 
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Plentify, Cellucity partner to bring energy-saving product to stores

Climate technology company Plentify and independent dealer Cellucity have announced a partnership to bring Plentify’s flagship energy-saving HotBot product to select Cellucity stores nationwide, as well as its online ecommerce website. HotBot is a smart energy device that uses machine learning and the Internet of Things technology to control electric geysers, intelligently turning them on and off, reducing energy use by about 30% while still providing hot water when needed.
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Nersa to host hearings into electricity determinations opening way for procurement of 3 800 MW

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will host virtual hearings on May 19 ahead of it providing concurrence with determinations opening the way for the procurement of 3 800 MW of emergency and cross-border electricity capacity. In February, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe granted Eskom an exemption from the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity to proceed with three procurement programmes, including:
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City of Cape Town earmarks R1.2bn for Steenbras peaker plant upkeep

The City of Cape Town’s ‘Building Hope’ budget for 2023/24 proposes continued investment in its Steenbras hydroelectric pumped storage scheme, laying the foundation for a potential estimated investment of about R1.2-billion over the next nine years on the maintenance and expansion of the plant.

City of Cape Town energy mayoral committee member councillor Beverley van Reenen says about R1-billion has been set aside for the refurbishment and extension of the 160 MW Steenbras scheme and about R200-million is earmarked for the maintenance of Steenbras.

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South Africa’s green direct reduced iron export potential highlighted as industry mulls …

Government and the steel industry are considering the potential of positioning South Africa as a global exporter of green hydrogen direct reduced iron (GHDRI) as part of a broader discussion to develop a roadmap for the decarbonisation of the iron and steel value chain. Department of Trade, Industry and Competition primary minerals beneficiation and construction director Mahendra Shunmoogam told stakeholders during a meeting in Sandton that green processing and production are likely to become a significant competitive advantage, especially in the export market.
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G7 countries wish to develop a global commercial nuclear fuel market

The five nuclear energy-using member countries of the Group of Seven major democratic economies (G7) on Sunday issued a joint statement announcing their intent to create a global commercial nuclear fuel market. The countries are Canada, France, Japan, the UK and the US. (The other two G7 countries are Germany, which has just closed its last nuclear power plants, and Italy, which closed its last nuclear power plants in 1990.) “Collaborating on strategic opportunities in uranium extraction, conversion, enrichment, and fabrication supports our collective climate, energy security and economic resilience objectives,” affirmed the five countries in their joint statement. “This multilateral cooperation would enable us to strengthen our domestic sectors and establish a level playing field to compete more effectively against predatory suppliers.”
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