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Nersa registered 111 generation facilities in the April to June quarter

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) says it has, for the quarter ended June 30 – the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year – registered 111 generation facilities, with a total capacity of 1 916 MW and an estimated investment value of R51.91-billion. This brings the total number of generation facilities registered with Nersa since 2018 to 2 056, with a total capacity of 12 757 MW and a total investment cost of R293-billion.

AfriForum probes legality of Nersa settlement with Eskom

Lobby group AfriForum said on Friday that it will consult with its legal team about the constitutionality of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) behind-closed-doors settlement with State-owned entity Eskom. The settlement agreement relates to errors made by the regulator in its sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) revenue decision, which was revealed by online publication Moneyweb.

Eskom supplier receives 12-year prison sentence; to repay R2.6m

Power utility Eskom welcomes the sentencing handed down by the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, in Mpumalanga, earlier this month relating to a case of fraud and corruption at the Tutuka power station. In 2020, Eskom’s investigations uncovered a syndicate that was paid to deliver three containers to the power station, but only one container was delivered. It also failed to meet the utility’s specifications.

LPG seen as key to securing women’s wellbeing in Africa

Global advocacy body, the World Liquid Gas Association (WLGA), has revealed that women and girls in Africa lose up to five hours every day collecting fuel for cooking purposes. This time burden limits education, job opportunities and the ability to start businesses, keeping many trapped in cycles of poverty. Speaking at the yearly Central Africa LPG Expo, representatives from the WLGA said the rollout of clean cooking solutions, such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), could transform the lives of millions of women and girls across the continent.

Project set to anchor LNG ambitions

A gas-to-power project under development is set to become a significant addition to South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), delivering much-needed dispatchable capacity and laying the groundwork for a viable liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. This potential project is being spearheaded through a collaboration between gas trader Spring Lights Gas (SLG) and engineering consultancy Alpenglow Consulting. They are developing a gas-fired facility, complete with supporting infrastructure and grid connection to help South Africa “keep its lights on”.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.