350Africa.org calls for social ownership of renewable energy

Organisation 350Africa.org has welcomed the Presidential Climate Commission’s (PCC’s) recommendations on South Africa’s long-term electricity planning and the Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), during a National Colloquium attended by government, labour and civil society stakeholders, including representatives from 350Africa.org, on April 14. “We welcome the PCC’s recommendation to support green industrial development, economic diversification, and localisation of crucial transition value chains.
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Loadshedding hits factory output in Mauritiius

The inability of South Africa’s main power producer Eskom Holdings to meet demand is not only hurting the continent’s most-industrialised economy but affecting manufacturers on an island more than 2 000 miles away. Chronic power shortages have reduced demand for Mauritian manufactured goods by South African retailers, the main buyer of products from Mauritius, Arif Currimjee, the outgoing chairperson of the Mauritius Export Association, said in an emailed response to questions. The outages pose a “downside risk” to growth in the industry after two straight years of recovery, he said.
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South Africa’s support for Eskom nears half a trillion rand

South Africa’s State-owned utility Eskom Holdings will have received close to half a trillion rand in state support almost two decades since it started imposing debilitating nationwide blackouts in 2008. The series of cash injections and a planned takeover of a portion of Eskom’s loan portfolio will amount to R495.6-billion in the fiscal year through March 2026, the National Treasury said in response to emailed questions. The figure includes Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana’s R254 billion relief package for Eskom, which was announced in February and hinges on the debt-laden company meeting pre-determined performance targets meant to wean it off its reliance on public finances.
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Karpowership missed deadline to appeal environment dept rejection by 10 days, seeks extension

Karpowership SA missed a deadline to appeal the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment’s (DFFE) decision to refuse it environmental authorisation for a floating gas power project at the Ngqura port. It, however, submitted the appeal 10 days after it was due, and now seeks an extension.
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New R1.2bn solar project will shield Cape Town from one stage of loadshedding

The City of Cape Town has decided to pursue an R1.2-billion solar PV and battery storage project, which should shield it from one full stage of loadshedding. The Paardevlei Ground-mounted Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage System Project is a 60MW renewable energy project that will be located just outside Somerset West on a site of 400 hectares, which is owned by the city. 
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Govt moves to ease enviro path for solar and battery projects

The South African government is moving to exclude solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage facilities from the requirement to obtain environmental authorisation in areas where the environmental sensitivity is officially classified to be medium to low. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy is seeking public comment on the plan, which is outlined in a Government Gazette notice, indicating that the exclusion has been proposed in terms of Section 24(2)(d) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 and applies subject to compliance with a prescribed ‘norm’ developed in terms of 24(10) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998.
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L2D bolstering solar capacity across its asset portfolio

Real estate investment trust Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) is continuing to roll out solar energy capacity across its asset portfolio. To achieve its Scope 1 and 2 net-zero emissions target by 2030, the company says it continues to make considerable strides in implementing portfolio-wide energy management improvements, while also increasing solar capacity through the installation of additional solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
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Climate commission identifies areas to address in electricity recommendations

At a National Colloquium held on April 14, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) identified several key points, some facets of contention and further areas of consideration with regard to its newly released draft recommendations to government on national electricity planning, as South Africa reviews its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Following discussions during the colloquium, the PCC reiterated that the country was in the midst of a global energy transition that held major implications for the South African economy, jobs and people’s welfare.
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AfDB, AFD extend $300m in funding to Tanzania’s Kakono hydroelectric plant

The government of Tanzania, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed agreements for two development project loans worth $300-million to finance the construction of the 87.8 MW Kakono hydropower plant in Tanzania.

Located in the Kagera region, in the northern part of Tanzania, the hydroelectric project also received a grant of €36-million from the European Union (EU).

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Investment in expanding economic activity most important – BLSA

Business lobby organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso says much of the investment commitments made during the South Africa Investment Conference are effectively replacement investments, such as companies building their own electricity plants because they can no longer rely on State-owned Eskom to produce it. “Such investments do not expand the capacity of the economy, but merely protect the existing capacity. Investment is not a good in and of itself. It is good for what it creates, including economic activity and to enable citizens to live better lives,” she states in her weekly newsletter.
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