The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has released an alternative to Eskom’s proposed retail tariff plan (RTP) ahead of public hearings into the plan, which proposes far-reaching changes to the residential tariff structure that some warn could penalise households with rooftop solar. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will host virtual hearings into Eskom’s proposed RTP on January 23, having postponed the hearings from the initial December 18 date set.
Addressing a gathering of global leaders on January 21, World Economic Forum (WEF) founder and chairperson Klaus Schwab called on the global community to embrace “constructive optimism”, urging stakeholders from all sectors – government, business, civil society and academia – to unite in crafting solutions to shared challenges brought about by the transition from the industrial to the intelligent age. “This [transition] is occurring at an exponential pace, carrying unprecedented risks for humanity as we strive to prepare and adapt for its complexities. Yet, it also offers significant opportunities to transcend our current challenges and spark a new renaissance – one defined by advancements in knowledge, health, culture and societal welfare,” he said at the fifty-fifth yearly meeting in Davos, Switzerland, highlighting the theme of the gathering: ‘Collaboration for the intelligent age’.
Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi is seeking a new path for South Africa’s second-largest polluter to reach its emissions target after doubling down on coal to run its fuel and chemicals production. The Johannesburg-based company plans to boost the use of renewable energy to counter the growing dependence on coal, Baloyi said. The firm has faced increasing pressure to lower greenhouse gases – mainly from the production process at its Secunda plant, the world’s biggest single site for emissions.
With several new renewables and battery storage projects under construction or being advanced to financial close, 2025 is poised to be a significant year in Mulilo’s ongoing transition from an entrepreneurial developer, which took minority stakes in projects, to a leading South African integrated independent power producer (IPP). Towards the tail-end of last year, the Cape Town-headquartered company was awarded five projects during the second bid window of South Africa’s battery storage procurement programme, as well as a 240 MW solar PV project under South Africa’s seventh renewables bid window. Earlier, it concluded a private power purchase agreement (PPA) with Air Products South Africa for a 75 MW solar PV project in the Northern Cape.
Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo says the utility is focussed on ensuring that South Africa achieves a full year without loadshedding at midnight on March 26, after the 300-day milestone was breached on January 21 – one that was last achieved in June 2018. Nxumalo, who has been leading the Generation Recovery Plan since March 2023 that is credited for facilitating a reduction in unplanned breakdowns, attributed the turnaround to Eskom’s 40 000 employees.
Global natural gas markets reached an all-time high last year and are set to remain tight in 2025 despite an ongoing rebalancing following the supply shock of 2022/23, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states. In 2024, global gas demand rose by 2.8%, or 115-billion cubic metres, which was well above the 2% average growth rate between 2010 and 2020. At the same time, below-average growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) output kept supply tight, while extreme weather events added to market strains.
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that South Africa’s energy market reforms and investment opportunities will be showcased at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. In a statement, the Minister said that the energy delegation would share the reforms that have taken shape in the electricity sector to end loadshedding and which have modernised the electricity market in a way that encourages private sector participation and competition.
Onshore wind energy company Nordex Group has appointed Robert Timmers as the new MD for Nordex Energy South Africa (NESA). He returns to South Africa after successfully leading Nordex Australia as MD and overseeing the supply and commissioning of a 1 GW wind farm project, which is the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.
Rwanda-based Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) notes in its latest ‘Africa Solar Outlook’ report that between 400 GW and 600 GW of solar capacity was installed, globally, in 2024, marking a 44% year-on-year increase and a new record year for solar installations.
Afsia projects there to be 2 000 GW of installed solar across the world.
Eskom has appointed Exxaro’s Rivoningo Mnisi as its new group executive for renewables in line with the coal-dominant utility’s stated goal of becoming a “significant player” in the renewable energy sector. Group CEO Dan Marokane said in a statement that Mnisi would focus on the work already in progress for an executable initial pipeline of at least 2 GW of clean energy projects by 2026.
INDUSTRY NEWS
WHERE TO FIND US
Address
9 Yellow Street
Botshabelo Industrial Area
Botshabelo, Free State
Call / Email Us
Tel: +27 (0) 51 534 1651
Email: info@transfix.co.za
