Develop gas economy now or face economic regression, Ramokgopa warns

South Africa faces a stark reality: failure to take urgent action to address the impending ‘gas cliff’ will result in economic regression, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has warned. “The gas cliff is not a distant event. It is imminent. But it is not inevitable. We have the analytical tools, institutional memory and public-private platforms to act. What we now require is resolve, coordination and energy,” he told key industry stakeholders at the Natural Gas Symposium, in Johannesburg, on May 7.
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Ramokgopa announces big increase in gas-to-power load factor to 50%-plus

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that the load factor for proposed gas-to-power (GtP) plants in South Africa will be increased from 25% to above 50%. Speaking at the release of Eskom’s winter outlook, the Minister said the policy change had been made following feedback from the market on what would be required to stimulate gas demand to solve what he described as an economic rather than an electricity problem.
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Itac initiates review of renewable energy facility inputs

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses a major tariff review initiated by the International Trade Commission of South Africa for inputs used in solar, wind and battery storage facilities at a time when there is broader reconsideration of trade and industrial policy in South Africa.
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Infrastructure link between gas demand and supply remains a constraint

While there is strong demand for gas for industrial and commercial uses in South Africa – and no shortage of finance for upstream oil and gas projects – the country has yet to take meaningful steps towards building the infrastructure needed to link demand and supply.  
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Review of 82 tariff codes for solar, wind and battery inputs could have far-reaching implications

A tariff review by the International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) of input materials and components used in wind, solar PV and battery storage facilities could have far-reaching implications for the renewables sector and electricity consumers. In a Gazette notice, Itac indicates that it will review 82 tariff codes for inputs and materials used in the renewables and storage value chains, including everything from solar panels and generators for wind turbines, to lithium-ion batteries, aluminium and steel structures and even screws, bolts and nuts used in renewables installations.
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Nordex Energy launches its most powerful wind turbine yet

Wind energy company Nordex Energy South Africa has confirmed the market readiness of the N175/6.X, which the company says is its most powerful onshore wind turbine so far. This follows the Nordex Group’s successful installation of the turbine on its in-house developed hybrid concrete-steel tower in Santow, Germany, earlier this year.
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Eskom’s R321bn capex plan has strong focus on grid, renewables and gas

State-owned electricity producer Eskom has unveiled details of a R321.72-billion capital expenditure (capex) plan for the coming five years, which includes plans for a material rise in grid-related investment, alongside new renewables and gas-to-power projects. In a presentation of its corporate plan to the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, Eskom indicated that R133-billion, or 41.2%, of its capital budget for the 2026 to 2030 financial years would be spent by the National Transmission Company (NTCSA).
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Saudi push into South Africa yields billions of dollars in deals

A flurry of meetings between Saudi Arabia and South Africa over the past year has culminated in discussions about or signed deals worth billions of dollars into Africa’s most industrialized country — and more corporate action is in the pipeline. The rush of deal-making is part of a broader Gulf drive into Africa, with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in particular investing in mining, renewable energy and agriculture.
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Outlook for the local and global wind sectors clouded

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the changes in the local wind sector in recent years, the local and global outlook for the wind sector and the targets set by the newly separated Department of Electricity and Energy.
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US investment in Moz LNG projects pivotal moment – energy chamber

US president Donald Trump’s re-election represents a pivotal moment for Africa’s fossil fuel industry, energy advocacy group African Energy Chamber (AEC) said earlier this year. The Trump administration’s swift reapproval of a $4.7-billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank for TotalEnergies’ liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique set the tone for what could be a “transformative era” for Africa’s energy sector. 
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