Eskom falls painfully short of going 365 days loadshedding-free

After having operated South Africa’s electricity system without resorting to rotational power cuts for 310 days, Eskom declared Stage 3 loadshedding at 17:00 on January 31, after the loss of 3 600 MW of coal capacity resulted in a depletion of diesel and pumped-storage reserves. Describing the development as a “sad moment” and a “setback”, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Romokgopa nevertheless insisted that Eskom’s operational performance remained on an upward trend.
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Eskom forecasting full-year profit of R10bn, as it digests Nersa decision

Eskom has confirmed that it is forecasting to make a full-year profit of more that R10-billion for 2024/25, having reported a R17-billion profit for the interim period, up from the R1.6-billion recorded for the same period in 2023/24. The group reported an after-tax loss of R55-billion in its full 2023/24 financial year, a performance that was negatively affected by the derecognition of a R36.6-billion deferred tax asset associated with the separation of the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA).
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African Dawn Investments forms partnership to roll out EV chargers, BESSs across South Africa

Finance company African Dawn Investments has entered into a strategic collaboration with Singapore company WaterCloud International and Chinese original-equipment manufacturer Beny New Energy to spearhead the roll-out electric vehicle chargers (EVCs) and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) across South Africa. The roll out will begin in March and continue over the next five years.
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Eskom to implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00

Eskom has announced that it will implement Stage 3 loadshedding from 17:00 on January 31, after warning earlier in the day that there was a high risk of loadshedding.   “This is a potentially temporary setback. Loadshedding is largely behind us due to the structural improvements in our generation fleet. However, over the past seven days, we have experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times. “This has necessitated the use of all our emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the status of our current emergency reserves, and loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend,” Eskom Group CE Dan Marokane said on Friday morning.
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Nersa grants Eskom 12.74% tariff hike

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the background to power utility Eskom’s MYPD6 tariff application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa); Nersa’s decision; and what is likely to happen next.  
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Eskom issues alert warning of high risk of loadshedding

After more than ten months of uninterrupted electricity supply due to the success of the Generation Recovery Plan, Eskom has issued an alert warning of a high risk of loadshedding at short notice.   “This is a potentially temporary setback. Loadshedding is largely behind us due to the structural improvements in our generation fleet. However, over the past seven days, we have experienced several breakdowns that require extended repair times. “This has necessitated the use of all our emergency reserves, which now need to be replenished. Consequently, we are closely monitoring the status of our current emergency reserves, and loadshedding up to Stage 4 may be implemented over the weekend.” said Eskom Group CE Dan Marokane.   Eskom will issue further updates in due course.
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Updated boilers yield significant improvements

The replacement of 78-year-old boilers at a Western Cape food processing plant by boiler operations and maintenance service provider Associated Energy Services (AES), has proven to be a valuable investment for the client as it significantly enhanced their entire production process, says AES.   This turnkey project – one of the largest in the sector and region – saw AES update the boiler house format, structure and technology.
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G3 Citrus Estates adds significant solar power upgrade

Citrus producer G3 Citrus Estates, in Weipe, Limpopo, has added 812 kW of solar PV and 2.28 MWh of battery storage to its existing solar-powered renewable electricity system, with commissioning set for the end of February. The Venetia diamond mine, established in 1992, spurred infrastructure development that caused the citrus industry in Weipe to thrive, with farmers capitalising on the region’s ideal climate and State-owned utility Eskom’s high-voltage powerline and Pontdrift substation to cultivate high-quality vegetables and export citrus.
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Nersa approves 12.74% tariff hike for April 1, as Eskom reports R16bn interim profit

The Energy Regulator, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) highest decision-making body, has granted Eskom a 12.74% tariff increase for implementation on April 1. The announcement coincided with the release of interim results by Eskom for the period to September 30, 2023. These showed that the utility made a profit of R16-billion in the first six months, a period that coincided with the high-demand and high-tariff winter months.
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MMC signs deal to get 70% of its power from NOA’s renewable sources

Manganese producer and exporter Manganese Metal Company (MMC) has entered into an energy supply agreement with integrated energy utility NOA Group to secure an estimated 70% of its electricity from renewable sources. The deal will leverage NOA’s portfolio of wind and solar PV facilities with a combined capacity of 86 MW.
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