Transalloys wants electricity tariff relief extended to full ferroalloys sector

Transalloys, which produces manganese ferroalloys at a smelter complex in Mpumalanga, has again warned that its operations are at risk of closure should the electricity tariff relief granted and being contemplated for the ferrochrome sector not be extended to other ferroalloy producers. In a statement released ahead of the 2026 Budget, CEO Konstantin Sadovnik said while he was not optimistic that meaningful electricity tariff relief for the wider smelting sector would be announced by the Finance Minister, such relief was urgently needed.
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Opinion: ssolar PV in South Africa – policy is in place; focus must now be on execution

In this article, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) technical and policy manager Sim Khuluse writes that South Africa’s solar PV sector has entered a pivotal execution phase, with installed capacity now exceeding 10.2 GW and a strong pipeline of utility‑scale projects approaching commercial operation; however, without urgent grid modernisation and clear market rules ahead of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market’s launch, the sector’s current investment momentum could be at risk.
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Sasol to begin reducing external coal purchases as destoning plant raises quality

Energy and chemicals group Sasol is aiming to begin ramping up internal coal production and reducing external coal purchases after its destoning plant reached beneficial operation in December. CEO Simon Baloyi said the project, which involved a repurposing of the Twistdraai export coal plant, had been completed within its budget of about R700-million and was facilitating the delivery of coal to Sasol’s Secunda Operations with a total sinks content of about 12%.
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Energy Council asks for fiscal support towards continued electricity reform

Ahead of the 2026 Budget that will be delivered on February 25, the Energy Council of South Africa has called on Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to prioritise electricity grid delivery and fiscal support for reform in the power sector.

The council says it believes power sector reform is the foundation for economic growth and job creation in South Africa, especially considering the large amount of investment needed in transmission and distribution infrastructure.

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Economic reforms in focus

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer talks about the recent attention being given to South Africa’s economic reforms.
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LPG viewed as lever to expand energy access, clean cooking

Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) could play a significant role in improving energy access, resilience and economic participation across Africa, particularly in regions where grid-based electricity infrastructure remains limited, highlights industry association World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA) CEO and MD James Rockall. He says that Africa continues to face deep structural energy deficits, with about 600-million people lacking access to electricity and roughly 80% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa without access to clean cooking fuels.
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Supply industry faces pivotal moment – association

The South African electricity supply industry is at a pivotal point, and the partial unbundling of State-owned power utility Eskom remains a key hurdle to boosting investor confidence, highlights South African Independent Power Producers Association (SAIPPA) chairperson Leoné Human. She adds that the introduction of the 100 MW exemption played a key role in addressing the country’s energy crisis, with independent power producer (IPP)  projects that had historically taken years to complete now being built much more quickly, providing private consumers with power and alleviating the electricity crisis.
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Reforms advance certainty, implementation risks remain

South Africa has made significant strides in establishing a clear electricity regulatory framework, but implementation threatens to undermine its impact, highlights law firm Sitef & Co director Mihlali Sitefane. In assessing whether South Africa has created enough certainty to sustain electricity law reform, Sitefane says the amendments to the Electricity Regulation Act provide much-needed clarity for private-sector investment; however, the progress may be curtailed if the amendments are not properly implemented.
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Competitive regulation key amid renewables disruption

Amid the technological ‘tsunami’ in renewable power technologies under way, African energy regulators need to have rules that are market friendly and that encourage competition, highlights University of the Witwatersrand Business School African Energy Leadership Centre visiting adjunct professor Dr Rod Crompton. With many African countries adding generation capacity, but struggling with weak, State-dominated power grids, Crompton says it would be helpful for professional, independent electricity regulators to determine cost-reflective tariffs for the use of electricity grids, with the ownership and operation of grids as separate, standalone entities, without any vertical integration, whether publicly or privately owned.
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Private capital reshaping renewable-energy investments

Private capital, expanding wheeling arrangements and the growing focus on transmission infrastructure are reshaping South Africa’s energy investment landscape, as the country moves to a more mature phase of renewable-energy development, says renewable energy investment company Revego Fund Managers CIO Ziyaad Sarang. Revego Fund Managers, which manages the Revego Africa Energy Fund, says the most bankable opportunities in South Africa are now concentrated in operational and late-stage renewable-energy assets where revenue certainty and operational resilience are “at their strongest”.
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