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Energy council CEO sees 2023 as a turning point in the energy crisis, but warns of slow …

Industry body the Energy Council of South Africa CEO James Mackay has said there is sufficient reason to believe that loadshedding could end as early as the end of 2024, but warns that South Africa is not on track to meet its decarbonisation targets. Mackay was speaking at the Solutions From the Edge conference, hosted by housing financing organsiation International Housing Solutions and financial institution Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, in Johannesburg, on September 14.
September 14, 2023 by

Cabinet consulted on IRP update, but further input required before public release

Cabinet was consulted on the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity during its meeting on September 13, but the document will be further consulted and revised before it is released for public comment. Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni stressed in her post-Cabinet briefing that the document would undergo various iterations and that consultations with the executive represented only the first part of that iterative process.
September 14, 2023 by

SIU’s Mothibi says contents of private Eskom investigation ‘cannot be ignored’

Special Investigating Unit head Advocate Andy Mothibi says the fact that former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter did not receive board authorisation to commission a private intelligence investigation into criminality and sabotage at the State-owned utility raises potentially grave governance issues. Nevertheless, he stresses that the report’s content “cannot be ignored” and is proving useful in guiding several ongoing investigations. In a presentation to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa), Mothibi confirmed that George Fivaz Forensics and Risk (GFFR) had been appointed by Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) to conduct the probe in a contract facilitated by De Ruyter, who “was acting on his own”.
September 12, 2023 by

South Africa to co-host grid financing seminar with JSE in September

Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that he is planning to co-host a seminar with the JSE in September to unpack various financing options for the expansion of South Africa’s electricity grid. Insufficient investment in the transmission system over the past number of years has emerged as a key constraint to the integration of much-needed new generation capacity and is particularly acute in regions with high-calibre wind and solar resources such as the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces.
September 10, 2023 by

Loadshedding to ease further on Saturday

Rugby fans can expect slightly fewer interruptions to their TV time this weekend, with scheduled power cuts expected to ease a little from early on Saturday morning.  This follows the implementation of Stage 6 when Eskom recently suffered several breakdowns at the same time as it ramped up maintenance.
September 8, 2023 by

Solar energy storage system launched

The pressing need for effective energy storage systems has become undeniable owing to the severe energy crisis marked by an unreliable power supply and frequent, at times, daily loadshedding. In this challenging landscape, the Row Pow Energy Storage System emerges as a solution to the power crisis, offering innovative features and remarkable benefits for businesses and households.
September 8, 2023 by

Firm offers immediate solar solutions

Solar energy company SunSource Solutions remains committed to not only providing immediate solutions to South Africa’s energy challenges but also contributing to a more sustainable and environmentally conscious future. By promoting the adoption of solar energy, the company aims to reduce carbon emissions and decrease the country’s reliance on fossil fuels.
September 8, 2023 by

Solar streetlights installed along Gqeberha street

Lighting manufacturer BEKA Schréder has supplied its solar lighting highmast the SOLARFLOOD solution for the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, along a stretch of Stanford road in Gqeberha, in the Eastern Cape, in June. This installation is the result of the municipality’s initiative to keep cables out of the reach of thieves through its highmast solar lighting pilot programme.
September 8, 2023 by

Firm pushing for investment in energy projects

Having realised the potential of particularly solar energy in the renewable-energy sector, independent investment and advisory firm Bravura aims to implement additional in-house capabilities to further develop and promote energy projects. “The decision has been made in the wake of a number of successful projects being executed by our associate, solar solutions provider SolarSaver,” says Bravura business development head Ian Matthews.
September 8, 2023 by