JSE-listed coal and energy group Exxaro Resources and State-owned electricity producer Eskom have announced they will collaborate on research initiatives and projects to reduce carbon emissions and cut air pollution. The two entities, which both have net-zero by 2050 targets, formalised their collaboration through a memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed on April 14.
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane has appealed for the State-owned utility to be given “space” to implement its renewable-energy strategy, insisting that it is not designed to “crowd out” private competitors and is in line with the country’s Just Energy Transition strategy of protecting vulnerable coal workers and communities. Speaking during the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Exxaro aimed primarily at helping to support the coal miner to reduce its Scope 3, or indirect, carbon emissions, Marokane also stressed the utility’s renewables strategy would be pursued in partnership with the private sector.
South Africa is on the cusp of starting a traded electricity market that will give consumers a choice of power products along with a range of pricing options, according to a top investment bank. Africa’s most industrialised economy has relied on state-owned Eskom for the bulk of its electricity supply for more than a century. Mismanagement and underinvestment at the utility led to record outages in 2023, causing government to allow private companies to build power plants of any size to meet their own needs and to sell to the grid.
Aspirant independent power producer (IPP) FlexED is developing a 1 000 MW gas-engine project in Mpumalanga to provide the flexible generation and ancillary services that will be required as the share of variable renewable-energy generation in South Africa’s electricity system rises. Known as Khanyazwe Flexpower, the project is being developed near Malalane, in Mpumalanga, in close proximity to the National Transmission Company South Africa’s (NTCSA’s) Khanyazwe substation and with confirmed access to the Rompco gas pipeline from Mozambique to South Africa.
Critical for use near utilities’ generators and substations as well as industrial electrical panels and switch rooms, Dromex arc workwear forms an important part of industrial equipment and services supplier BMG’s tool and equipment division’s comprehensive personal protective equipment (PPE) range. BMG tools and equipment division business unit manager Andrew Johns advises customers to ensure that chosen workwear and PPE offers adequate protection for specific applications as every environment poses different safety challenges; correct product selection is crucial.
Despite reduced loadshedding, power reliability concerns in South Africa persist. Consequently, solar solutions company Blockpower seeks to address the need for reliable, sustainable power through its hybrid solutions, incorporating solar and advanced battery storage, among other sources. “The demand for standby power solutions, such as generators and battery storage, has significantly increased in recent years owing to ongoing power shortages and loadshedding in South Africa,” explains Blockpower project head Martin van Zyl.
As South Africa’s demand for reliable and cost-effective power solutions continues to grow, diesel engine dealer YC Diesel has identified the need for a factory-supported supplier that provides “high-quality generators while ensuring strong after-sales support and reliable warranties”. The company now offers a comprehensive range of generators – from 20 kVA units to 1.2 MW – with larger models available for industrial applications.
In a move that bridges mining, energy and sustainability, blue ammonia producer Suiso and public research institute the Council for Geoscience (CGS) have entered a collaboration to research South Africa’s subsurface potential. The initiative will augment the assessment of the underground carbon storage capacity being undertaken by the CGS, enhance the search for sustainable critical minerals and lay the foundation for a greener energy future.
AI has the potential to considerably impact the energy sector in the coming decade, driving a surge in electricity demand from data centres around the world, the International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) ‘Energy and AI’ report posits. It projects that electricity demand from data centres worldwide is set to more than double by 2030 to an estimated 945 TWh.
Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) has, in partnership with Darling Green Country Estate and TouchPoint Energy, commissioned a 1 MW solar plant in Darling, in the Swartland municipality. The plant, which came onstream in March, supplies clean, sustainable energy to the newly developed Darling Green Country Estate, and is powered by the recently established green energy provider, Darling Green Utility.
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