Eskom confirms conviction of suspect found tampering with infrastructure at Matla

State-owned power utility Eskom reports that one of the two accused suspects in a case involving critical infrastructure tampering has been convicted at the Kriel Magistrate Court and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment.

The two suspects were arrested on February 24, 2022, on suspicion of stealing copper bars and installed copper at a substation in Mpumalanga. Eskom used drone surveillance to confirm the crime and suspects involved.

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Balancell named fastest growing manufacturing company in Africa in new list

The Financial Times, in partnership with Statista, has published its list of Africa’s 125 Fastest Growing Companies for the Year. In the top spot for manufacturing was Balancell Energy, a South African business that designs, engineers and manufactures smart lithium-ion batteries for multiple applications.
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Green Connection petitions court to ‘force’ Nersa, DMRE to supply Karpowership information

Environmental activist nonprofit organisation the Green Connection has taken the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to court in an effort to “force” them to supply key information regarding the Karpowership deals. Karpowership uses powerships, or floating power plants, that can anchor at ports and provide electricity facing power supply constraints.
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Decentral completes installation of gas-powered minigrid for manufacturer in Pretoria

Distributed energy solutions company Decentral Energy has installed a 1.3 MW stationary gas engine and diesel generator at a fast-moving consumer goods manufacturer’s premises, in Rosslyn, Pretoria.

The solution enables the factory to expand and reduce its carbon footprint, while allowing independence from the national grid.

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NNR hosts new round of talks with public over Koeberg’s life extension

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has started with another round of hearings on June 3, owing to concerns about the last consultation process having been insufficient. The regulator conceded that the public required more information, but only after civil society organisations such as Southern African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (Safcei) voiced its dissatisfaction with the overall governance and public participation process for the Koeberg long-term operation (LTO), or lifetime extension.
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Global renewable energy commitments fall short of COP28 targets

Although Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) are key to decarbonisation, current NDCs only amount to 1 300 GW, or 12%, of the renewable energy capacity needed to meet the objective of tripling renewable energy as set at the COP28 conference.

At COP28, nearly 200 countries pledged to triple the world’s renewable power capacity this decade, which is one of the critical actions to keep alive hopes of limiting global warming to 1.5 ˚C.

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TNPA appoints Amulet consortium to build, operate Richards Bay solar plant

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has selected Amulet Group Consortium to build and operate a 20 MW solar PV plant at the Port of Richards Bay.

TNPA anticipates that the design and construction of the solar plant will start in June and that it will be operational by May 2026.

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V&A Waterfront pilots ‘aesthetically pleasing’ small-scale wind turbines

Cape Town’s V&A Waterfront is pioneering the integration of small, low-noise vertical-axis wind turbines into its green electricity supply mix, following the installation of four 1-kW units within the mixed-use property’s Silo District and another 3-kW turbine near to the complex’s Breakwater parking. The LS Double Helix turbines have been sourced from LuvSide, of Germany, which has in parallel established LuvSide South Africa in partnership with Energy Systems Africa to pursue new market opportunities for its vertical- and horizontal-axis solutions.
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