Political interference undermining South Africa’s coal potential – Prevost

South Africa has the potential to be the strongest producer, user and exporter of coal on the continent, but political interference prevents this from happening, XMP Consulting senior coal analyst Xavier Prevost has said. “We are actually not fulfilling our role the way we should and the reason why is simply because we are blocked by politicians that think they’re doing what’s best, but they’re not,” he told delegates at nonprofit organisation FFF Carbon’s 2024 Middelburg Coal Conference, in Mpumalanga, on October 17.
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Scatec making final preparations for construction of R3bn Northern Cape battery project

Renewable-energy group Scatec says it is making final preparations to start construction of the R3-billion Mogobe battery energy storage system (BESS) project, which reached financial close on October 16. The 103 MW/412 MWh project is located near Kathu, in the Northern Cape, and has been awarded a 15-year power purchase agreement under South Africa’s inaugural Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme bid window.
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German energy expert says energy transition a mistake

Transitioning to wind and solar is probably one of the greatest mistakes that humanity has ever made, German commodity trading company HMS Bergbau president Dr Lars Schernikau said at nonprofit organisation FFF Carbon’s 2024 Middelburg Coal Conference in Mpumalanga, on October 17. “It’s a very uncomfortable and unpopular thing to say,” he admitted, highlighting numerous often ignored challenges posed by the ongoing energy transition.
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Menar MD pushes back on request to lower prices

Coal and manganese mining group Menar MD Vuslat Bayoğlu has pushed back on a request by Energy and Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s special adviser Silas Zimu for domestic coal suppliers to State-owned utility Eskom to lower their prices for the next three years in order for the utility to decrease the tariff increases it has applied for. Speaking at nonprofit organisation FFF Carbon’s 2024 Middelburg Coal Conference in Mpumalanga, on October 17, Bayoğlu acknowledged that there was a need for affordable electricity, but said it was impossible for miners to lower coal prices owing to stringent and expensive new mining safety requirements.
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Eskom announces four executive appointments

Eskom Group CEO Dan Marokane has announced the first four of what will be seven new executive appointments, which he says are being made to address current business challenges and to support the organisation’s strategic initiatives and growth plans. The appointments are all effective from November 1, and include:
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Domestic coal suppliers asked to lower prices to Eskom

Energy and Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa’s special adviser Silas Zimu has implored South African coal producers to temporarily sell coal to State-owned utility Eskom at a reduced price for the next three years to offset the proposed 36.15% electricity price increase for direct Eskom customers. In return, coal suppliers would receive extended contracts with the utility.
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First two private utility-scale battery projects reach commercial close

Two projects selected as preferred bidders under South Africa’s inaugural Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) bidding round have advanced to commercial close and will now enter construction. The projects, named Mogobe BESS and Oasis Mookodi, have a combined capacity of 180 MW/720MWh, and will be connected to transmission substations located near to Kathu in Northern Cape and Vryburg in the North West province respectively.
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Africa’s critical-minerals role highlighted as world moves into ‘Age of Electricity’

With the global energy system moving into the “Age of Electricity”, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has again highlighted the central role of Africa in producing the critical minerals required to support the electrification of energy services previously dominated by fossil fuels, such as transportation. Releasing the ‘World Energy Outlook 2024’ report, IEA executive director Fatih Birol argued that it was becoming increasingly evident that the future of the global energy system was electric.
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Eskom’s tariff application reflects big rise in subsidy support for energy-intensive firms

A policy decision to allow electricity-intensive companies operating in South Africa to enter into negotiated pricing agreements (NPAs) with Eskom is set to contribute 5.7% to any tariff increase approved for implementation on standard-tariff customers on April 1 next year. Eskom has included an application for 10 additional NPAs in its larger submission to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for allowable revenue of R445.6-billion for its 2026 financial year. If approved in full, this would translate to a 36.15% tariff hike next year and raise the standard tariff to 266.78c/kWh from 195.74c/kWh.
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Green Connection welcomes Karpowership deal ending, calls for further details

Nonprofit organisation The Green Connection has welcomed Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa’s announcement this week that the Karpowership deal is officially “dead in the water”. Turkish energy company Karpowership had been seeking to implement three ship-based power projects in South Africa after being named one of the preferred bidders in the government’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
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