Ramokgopa urges Eskom to withdraw legal case against traders

Electricity and Energy Miniter Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has urged Eskom to stay or withdraw its court action to have the National Energy Regulator of South Afirca’s (Nersa’s) licensing of five electricity traders in 2024 reviewed and set aside, highlighting an accelerated process by the regulator to finalise the trading rules. In a statement that makes reference joint statement by Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa that slammed Eskom’s legal challenge and urged government, Ramokgopa stressed Eskom’s longstanding concerns regarding the absence of a clear, rules-based framework to manage the transition to a competitive electricity market. 
/by

Scientists analyse feasibility of lightning-produced ammonia

Scientists have developed lightning-produced ammonia in gas form – a new, more efficient method that is a step closer to the sustainable production of ammonia and, therefore, a transition to a hydrogen-based economy, says the University of Sydney school of engineering and biomedical engineering and Net Zero Institute’s Professor PJ Cullen. University of Sydney researchers have harnessed human-made lightning to develop a more efficient method of generating ammonia – one of the world’s most important chemicals. Ammonia is also the main ingredient of fertilisers that account for almost half of all global food production.
/by

EXSA-Seriti Green deal opens way for 155 MW Mpumalanga wind project

A 155 MW Mpumalanga wind energy project has reached financial close, following the signing of a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) between Seriti Green and licensed energy trader Energy Exchange of Southern Africa (EXSA). The R5-billion project forms part of Seriti Green’s larger 900 MW Ummbila Emoyeni hybrid energy complex to be built in phases across 27 000 ha in the province and which will incorporate wind, solar, and battery storage components. 
/by

BLSA, Busa urge Eskom to cease legal action against awarded electricity trading licences

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) and Business Unity South Africa (Busa) have called on the South African government to urgently intervene to protect the national energy reform programme in the face of State-owned Eskom’s attempts to “undermine it”. The organisations argue that Eskom should promptly withdraw all legal challenges against the five electricity trading licences granted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa).
/by

SAWEM School ‘oversubscribed’ as NTCSA gears up for launch of market platform

The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) reports strong interest in its recently launch three-day educational programme to prepare potential participants for the launch next year of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM). The first official SAWEM School was hosted at the Wits Business School in late July and attracted more than 60 participants, drawn from academia, trading companies, large power users, the NTCSA itself and various other entities. It followed on from an earlier pilot school that involved more than 40 participants.
/by

Pan African signs ten-year renewable supply deal with NOA Trading

Gold producer Pan African Resources has signed a ten-year renewables supply agreement with licensed electricity trader NOA Group Trading for 10% of its total yearly electricity load of 112 GWh. The agreement allows Pan African to source wheeled renewable energy from multiple generation facilities for its Barberton Mines, Evander Mines and Mogale Tailings Retreatment (MTR) operations in the Mpumalanga and Gauteng provinces.
/by

Nersa approves another trading licence in favour of Lyra Energy Trading

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has awarded an electricity trading licence to Lyra Energy Trading following a comprehensive process that included public hearings. The licence was officially approved on July 30 and came against the backdrop of a legal challenge by Eskom of Nersa’s approval of six other trading licences in 2024.
/by

South Africa plans jail time, fines under new emissions rules

South Africa will seek jail time, fines and higher taxes for breaches of proposed rules to govern carbon emissions that will apply to almost all sectors of the economy. The proposed regulations, due to take effect at the beginning of next year, will see the setting of so-called carbon budgets for emitters of climate-warning greenhouse gases. A failure to meet reporting requirements could see executives imprisoned, while exceeding emission limits may trigger a higher carbon-tax rate. “We are the only ones that have this price across our whole economy” with the exception of waste and agriculture, said Jarredine Morris, co-head of the Africa Office of Carbon Trust, a carbon emissions consultancy. It will mean “we really have a way to have industry to start to do things rather than kick the can down the road,” she said.
/by

South Africa urged to firm up developmental vision for universal electricity access

A leading advocate for the provision of free basic electricity (FBE) to poor South African households has welcomed moves by government to pursue its universal access goal through a “developmental” lens but believes more still needs to be done to firm up what affordable access means and the best ways of achieving that objective. In his Budget Vote speech, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced that government’s revised universal access strategy would reframe electrification as a developmental and rights-based obligation rather than a legacy infrastructure backlog.
/by

Govt sets out plan to derisk private grid projects

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the launch of the much-anticipated process to shortlist bidders for South Africa’s inaugural procurement of independent transmission projects, or ITPs; how procurement of these projects will be carried out; and the plan to launch a new Credit Guarantee Vehicle to derisk these projects.
/by