Energy firm makes major gas discovery in Mpumalanga

Perth-based gas exploration company Kinetiko Energy has confirmed one of South Africa’s most significant onshore gas finds, following about a decade of work in Mpumalanga. The company has drilled over 40 core exploration holes and eight gas production test wells in the region, resulting in a discovery now certified at 6-trillion cubic feet (tcf) of contingent gas resources and a further 5.8 tcf of prospective resources.
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SNG could sustain industries till LNG rollout

Gas solutions company Eyona Gas believes that synthetic natural gas (SNG) could offer a real safety net for South African industries facing looming gas shortages in the future. As the country moves closer to the expected decline of natural gas supply from Mozambique, many factories are weighing their options.
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Commision gives its approval for ACDC’s acquisition of Blue Nova

The Competition Commission has given its approval for the proposed transaction in which electrical components manufacturer ACDC intends to acquire energy storage solutions provider Blue Nova, with conditions. ACDC is a distributor and retailer of lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) battery energy storage systems (BESS), which are bought from various manufacturers, including Blue Nova.
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Bigger hikes to follow Nersa’s R54bn behind-closed-doors settlement with Eskom

Eskom’s electricity tariffs are poised to rise by 8.76% on April 1 next year instead of the 5.36% approved previously, and by 8.83% instead of 6.19% in 2027/28 after the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) reached a settlement agreement with the State-owned entity in relation to errors made by the regulator in its sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) revenue decision. Eskom legally challenged the MYDP6 decision in July, arguing that the erroneous way in which Nersa calculated the regulatory asset base value for the generation business, and which affected the depreciation amount approved, had left it with a revenue shortfall of a R107-billion.
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Blue Label reports ‘resilient’ full-year performance as restructuring takes shape

JSE-listed Blue Label Telecoms, which will start trading under its new name BLU Label Unlimited from September 3, has reported a “resilient” performance for the financial year ended May 31, with core headline earnings having improved to R4.15-billion, from R679.49-million in the 2024 financial year. Core headline earnings a share were 461.63c, compared with 76.08c in the prior financial year.
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Warning that qualifying criteria for private grid procurement could sideline domestic industry

Concern continues to be raised over the technical and financial criteria being used to prequalify bidders for South Africa’s inaugural independent transmission project (ITP) tender, which critics warn will marginalise domestic industry – notwithstanding a stipulation that there should be a minimum 49% South African equity participation. Government has initiated a two-stage ITP procurement process, with the request for qualification (RFQ) documentation currently available for a non-refundable fee of R150 000 and with a submission deadline of September 23 having been set.
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Sasol wants electricity trading licence to add ‘flexibility’ as it mulls equity in renewables

Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi has confirmed that the JSE-listed group has applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for an electricity trading licence, and is also planning to take equity positions in renewable-energy projects in future. In an interview with Engineering News, which came as Nersa moved to finalise trading rules and Eskom mounted a legal challenge against the regulator’s decision to license five domestic traders in 2024, Baloyi said a trading licence would offer it flexibility as a large procurer and potential direct investor in renewables.
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Sasol expects coal destoning investment to lift Secunda volumes

Energy and chemicals group Sasol reports that construction of its coal destoning plant has been completed and that the facility, which should be ramped up to full production by December, is producing coal with a ‘sinks’ content (rock fragments or other impurities) of between 0% and 1.5%. The brownfield project has involved a repurposing of the Twistdraai export coal plant and an investment of less than R1-billion.
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Eskom launches renewables offtake scheme despite its objections to traders

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses Eskom’s invitation to large electricity users to bid for 291 MW of solar electricity that it is preparing to build and trade and the questions this raises about fair competition given Eskom’s objections to traders.
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Red Sands BESS project reaches financial close

Independent power company Globeleq and its project partner, energy supplier African Rainbow Energy, have reached financial close on the 153 MW/612 MWh Red Sands battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Africa. The project – which is located near Upington, Northern Cape – will span about 5 ha and supply electricity to State-owned electricity utility Eskom’s subsidiary National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA), under a 15-year power purchase agreement.
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