High Court dismisses Mantashe’s firing of NNR communities board member

The Western Cape High Court has declared Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe’s decision to dismiss National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) board member responsible for communities Peter Becker from his duties, unlawful, unconstitutional and invalid. Becker was discharged from his position on February 25, 2022, following alleged conflict-of-interest statements that posited that hearings into a new nuclear power station at Thyspunt were serving to distract attention from then problems at the Koeberg nuclear power station.
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R1.2bn debt restructuring completed for Soutpan solar plant

Independent power company Globeleq has completed a R1.2-billion senior debt restructuring for its 31 MW Soutpan Solar Power plant, in Limpopo, one of the first solar power plants built under South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).    The company explained on January 23 that, by lowering the cost of debt for the project, the refinancing allows for a significant reduction in wholesale electricity prices from the plant.  
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South Africa inquires about rapid deployment of powerships

South Africa made fresh inquiries about securing electricity supply from Turkey’s Karpowership as it battles its worst ever power outages, according to people familiar with the situation. The approach follows a stalled attempt to procure 1 220 MW of emergency power from the company, a process that’s been mired in legal battles. Karpowership could deploy its plants, which produce electricity from ship-mounted generators, to supply between 700 MW and 800 MW within three months, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private.
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Stage 4 evening loadshedding until further notice

Loadshedding will remain at Stage 4 from 16:00 to 05:00 every day, with Stage 3 implemented from 05:00 to 16:00 during the day until further notice, Eskom announced on Monday. Over the past 24 hours, two generating units at Tutuka Power Station were taken offline for repairs while two units at the Arnot Power were returned to service. Planned maintenance removed 6 018MW from the system, while breakdowns currently amount to 15 797MW of generating capacity.
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Stage 4 loadshedding planned for the weekday evenings 

Loadshedding will remain at Stage 4 from 16:00 to 05:00 every day, with Stage 3 implemented from 05:00 to 16:00 during the day until further notice, Eskom announced on Monday. Over the past 24 hours, two generating units at Tutuka Power Station were taken offline for repairs while two units at the Arnot Power were returned to service.
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Agbiz calls for less loadshedding in areas under irrigation

Business organisation the Agricultural Business Chamber of South Africa (Agbiz) has urged for less loadshedding in areas under irrigation and food-processing facilities. In crucial field crops, roughly 20% of maize, 15% of soybean, 34% of sugarcane and nearly half of the wheat production are produced under irrigation and these face severe challenges owing to persistently hot and dry conditions, coupled with constrained ability to irrigate. Fruits and vegetables also heavily rely on irrigation, and thus face similar challenges.
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South Africa joins global ranks of liquid helium production thanks to Renergen project

Natural gas and helium producer Renergen has produced its first liquid helium at its flagship Virginia gas project, in South Africa’s Free State province, making the country the world’s newest producer of liquid helium. The helium module is now operational and being optimised, the company confirmed on January 23.
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Ramaphosa doubles down on Energy Action Plan, but says loadshedding can’t be stopped overnight

President Cyril Ramaphosa has indicated that there is no intention of overhauling the Energy Action Plan he unveiled in July last year, even while acknowledging that “many of the measures in the plan will not be felt in the immediate term” and that loadshedding will, thus, continue. Writing in his weekly newsletter following a week of consultative meetings on the electricity crisis with various social partners and the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), which he chairs, the President said he had used the meetings to underline “the importance of staying the course, instead of coming up with unsustainable short-term solutions”.
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Eskom to apply for enviro exemption to allow for earlier restart of Kusile units

Eskom will approach the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for an exemption to allow it to temporarily bypass the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) units at the Kusile power station in an effort to reintroduce 2 160 MW of production, months earlier than would be the case absent such an exemption. Kusile Units 1, 2 and 3 have been out of service since October 23 after the flue duct at Unit 1 failed as a result of the duct bend collapsing, owing to excessive weight of slurry deposited in the flue.
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UAE clean energy firm commits to renewables in Zambia, Angola, Uganda

United Arab Emirates (UAE) clean energy company Masdar has signed agreements with the energy Ministries of Angola, Uganda and Zambia to develop renewable energy projects totalling 5 GW.

The agreements were signed under the umbrella of the Etihad 7 initiative, which was launched by the UAE last year. The initiative is aimed at building 20 GW of renewable energy capacity on the continent and with it supply 100-million people across the continent with clean electricity.

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