Independent power producer Globeleq has appointed interim CEO Jonathan Hoffman as its permanent Group CEO following a thorough and extensive search process that evaluated internal and external candidates. Hoffman joined Globeleq in 2010. He was appointed chief development officer in 2020 and took over as interim CEO in July 2024.
Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George has granted Eskom air-pollution exemptions for eight power stations that would otherwise have been forced to close on April 1. He insists, however, that the exemptions do not represent a “blanket reprieve” and that they have been granted together with “rigorous conditions”. On December 10, Eskom applied for relief from the minimum emission standards (MES) for eight of its coal-fired power stations, including Duvha, Kendal, Lethabo, Majuba, Matimba, Matla, Medupi, and Tutuka.
Southern Africa, like much of the rest of the continent, has long struggled with inadequate electricity supply. Yet, amid the chronic shortages, some countries find themselves sitting on surpluses while their neighbours remain in the dark. This state of affairs led the 12 inland members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to flick the switch on a bold idea – the creation of a central electricity trading hub – in March 1995 to take advantage of the surpluses by sharing electricity across the region. Although it started as a regional cooperation and electricity resource sharing initiative, it later shifted to a more competitive set of wholesale electricity markets, including a short-term energy market, introduced in 2001, and a day-ahead market, which was added in 2009.
South Africa’s paper and pulp industry is a vital economic sector, with the adoption of sustainable practices, such as improved energy efficiency, having bolstered its resilience despite challenges such as high transportation costs, water and energy intensity and limited suitable forestry land. Drive technology and automation specialist SEW-EURODRIVE says it has dedicated many years to modernising the industry through key initiatives that ensure cost effectiveness and alignment with global technology and trends. Bringing these advancements to Mpumalanga, which is the home of South Africa’s paper sector, the company has supplied purpose-built and precisely engineered industrial gears, geared motors, servo drives and a range of electronic products that were tailored to meet an operation’s specific needs.
Cabinet has finally approved the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM), which will seek to leverage green industrialisation opportunities from the country’s deployment of wind, solar and battery storage facilities. The SAREM was drafted well ahead of the 2024 elections and has now been adopted by the multiparty Government of National Unity, with Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré having been delegated political responsibility for its implementation.
In this opinion article, Dr Wikus Kruger outlines the key reforms needed to address the current problems with South Africa’s once highly-respected programme for the public procurement of renewable-energy capacity from independent power producers.
Recent amendments to the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) regulatory framework, introduced on February 26, are expected to have significant implications for African exporters. The impact of these amendments was discussed during a webinar on March 26, hosted by the Pan-African policy support organisation African Future Policies Hub.
Registered energy trader Enpower Trading has signed a ten-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with platinum mine developer Ivanplats for the yearly delivery of 48.30 GWh of renewable electricity to the Platreef mine, which is under construction on the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex in Limpopo. The wheeled electricity will be sourced from SolarAfrica Energy’s 342 MW SunCentral PV plant in De Aar, located in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.
Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment Minister Dr Dion George will on March 31 announce a decision regarding Eskom’s application for additional minimum emission standards (MES) exemptions for some of its coal-fired power stations. In May last year, then Minister Barbara Creecy granted Eskom permission to continue to operate Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden and Kriel at existing MES plant limits until March 31, 2030, after which the stations would be decommissioned.
As State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) marks the sixtieth anniversary of its SAFARI-1 research reactor, the entity is looking to build on the success of the reactor, with the setting up of a multipurpose research (MPR) reactor that is expected to bolster research, skills development and collaboration endeavours. Located on the Necsa site, in Pelindaba, in the North West, the SAFARI-1 reactor is a 20 MW (thermal) multi-purpose tank-in-pool reactor that started operating on March 18, 1965.
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