Karpowership South Africa (SA), the local entity of Turkish company Karpowership, has welcomed the granting of an environmental authorisation (EA) for its Saldanha Bay project by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). It says this is another step forward for the company to supply power to the South African grid through the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
Creamer Media editor Terence Creamer discusses the lagging procurement of new electricity generation and addition of crucial grid infrastructure, as well as the dire situation at Transnet’s ports and rail systems.
The associations representing the wind and solar sectors as well as independent power producers (IPPs) more generally are eagerly awaiting a proposed curtailment addendum to Eskom’s Grid Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA), which is published yearly to provide connection visibility for new utility scale generators. The latest GCCA was published at the end of October and states that, while there is still 19.9 GW of capacity available, all capacity has been absorbed in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces, as well as Eskom’s Hydra Central grid area, which borders the Cape provinces and the Free State.
Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) says it will invest R100-million in Phase 2 of a solar power project at its East London production plant, in the Eastern Cape. An additional 22 847 photovoltaic solar panels will be installed to convert sunlight into electricity, and to contribute to reducing the company’s carbon footprint.
Mineral Resources and Energy Deputy Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has emphasised the need to invest in science, technology and innovation to grow South Africa’s economy and to address the country’s well-documented energy challenges. She was speaking on the first day of the South African National Energy Development Institute’s (SANEDI’s) first yearly energy conference, which is being held this week, in Johannesburg.
The South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) says the ongoing loadshedding crisis has significantly impacted on its members, with widespread power outages affecting various sectors of its business operations, with substantial implications. Among the areas of business most affected by loadshedding, Sapia reports that the purchase and operation of generators at operating facilities such as depots and service stations have contributed significantly.
A 97.5 MW solar photovoltaic project will be constructed in the Free State following the signing of a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) between Mainstream Renewable Power and industrial groups Sasol and Air Liquide. The project forms part of a joint initiative by Sasol and Air Liquide to decarbonise their operations at Sasol’s Secunda complex, in Mpumalanga, through the integration of 600 MW of renewable electricity in the coming years.
South Africa has confirmed the signing of three new policy loan agreements – worth more than $1.8-billion – in support of the country’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), the implementation plan for which was approved by Cabinet last week. The dollar- and euro-denominated loans are described as “concessional’ and have been provided directly to the National Treasury for general budget expenditure purposes by the World Bank, Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
South Africa is likely to prioritise energy security over its decarbonisation aspirations to avoid further damage to its economy, said James Mackay, the chief executive officer of the Energy Council of South Africa. That would involve extending the life of some of state power utility Eskom’s coal-fired plants. The cost may be reduced access to concessional climate finance and a decline in the competitiveness of South African exports as the European Union ramps up levies on imported products that have carbon-heavy production processes, he said.
Electric vehicle (EV) charging station developer Zero Carbon Charge has broken ground on its first 100% renewable energy charging station in Wolmaransstad, in the North West, in what is to become South Africa’s first national network of 120 solar-powered charging facilities spaced out at 150 km intervals. The first Zero Carbon Charge facility at Wolmaransstad is due for completion in June next year and is differentiated from existing EV charging stations that are connected to State-owned Eskom’s predominantly coal-powered grid.
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