ANC walks political tightrope over coal plant shutdowns

In a ward where South Africa’s governing African National Congress (ANC) won handily in local elections three years ago, party campaign worker Poppy Vilakazi has been getting a decidedly frosty reception lately. “Mostly they are angry,” she told Reuters, speaking in Komati, a village in the shadow of a shuttered power plant in Mpumalanga province, an ANC stronghold in the country’s coal belt.
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Salga energy head calls for post-election review of free basic electricity scheme

The head of energy at the South African Local Government Association (Salga) has called for a review of both the size of the free basic electricity (FBE) allocation as well as the way the grant is assigned, arguing that many indigent households are currently not benefiting from the scheme as intended. Speaking during a roundtable discussion on South Africa’s electrification programme as part of government’s ongoing activities to mark 30 years of democracy, Nhlanhla Ngidi described the current monthly allocation of 50 kWh as “minute” and well below the 300 kWh to 400 kWh that poor households were typically consuming.
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Kinetiko thrilled with successful onshore gas-to-power demonstration in South Africa

ASX-listed Kinetiko Energy has successfully demonstrated that it can produce gas-to-power (GtP) from an onshore natural gas resource at its Amersfoort project, in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The company is focused on developing an energy transition solution for South Africa focused on commercialising advanced shallow conventional gas projects in the country’s Mpumalanga, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal provinces.
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EWSETA, partners to advance women in electrical, renewable energy fields in Limpopo

The Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA), the US Agency for International Development (USAID) – in support of Power Africa, a US government-led partnership – and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa, launched Phase 2 of the Just Energy Transition (JET) Technical Training for Women in Electrical and Renewable Energy Programme, in Limpopo, on May 10. Women electricians and artisans in Limpopo will receive specialised technical training at seven technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in the province.
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Ramaphosa denies pre-election loadshedding respite is a ‘political ploy’

President Cyril Ramaphosa has entered the politically charged discussion on the reasons behind the recent dramatic reduction in loadshedding ahead of what is expected to be a highly competition election and amid allegations that the reprieve is being staged managed to improve the governing party’s prospects and will, thus, not be sustained. Writing in his weekly newsletter at a time which Eskom had refrained from implementing the unpopular rotational power cuts for a period of more than a month and a half, Ramaphosa denied that it was a “political ploy ahead of the elections”, while indicating that it was “too early to say that loadshedding has been brought to an end”.
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Michelin research shows how transporters can reduce total cost of ownership

Tyre manufacturer Michelin has launched its latest research focused on total cost of ownership, which is aimed at shifting the mindsets of South African transporters to run more efficient and sustainable fleets. The ‘2023 Decarbonising South Africa’s Transport Sector’ outlines that transport is the third-largest emitting sector in South Africa, with almost 55-million tonnes of CO2 emissions, contributing more than 10% to the country’s national gross emissions.
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Battery storage procurement faces some delays

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses South Africa’s approach to procuring battery storage, the delays that some of the battery storage bid windows face and the likely market reaction to these delays.
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Opinion: A symphony of solutions – South Africa’s tech-agnostic energy mix

In this article, renewable energy solutions provider Scatec sub-Saharan Africa project development VP Alberto Gambacorta writes about the need for South Africa to adopt a technology-agnostic and diversified approach to power generation.
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Big guns will speak at Enlit

Advisory and analytics firm Frost & Sullivan, a global strategy consulting and market intelligence firm with a long-standing presence in Africa will again be represented by its partner and Africa CEO Hendrik Malan at this year’s Enlit Africa 2024, which will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 21 to 23.  For the past 24 years, Malan has dedicated himself to understanding the Africa region and its dynamics.
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Organisers expect record attendance at event

With ballooning foot traffic, demonstrated by an increase in attendance of 81% from 2022 to 2023, the organisers of this year’s Enlit Africa anticipate a “bumper event that will be attended by global dignitaries and industry leaders”. The Enlit Africa 2024 will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre from May 28 to 30.
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