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Hitachi Energy, BluVein accelerate the electrification of heavy haul mining fleets through MoU

Global technology group Hitachi Energy and BluVein – an innovator in dynamic charging technology – have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to accelerate the electrification of heavy haul mining fleets. Hitachi Energy’s advanced power electronics and digital charging technologies allow BluVein’s electric rail (e-rail) charging technology to deliver electricity safely and reliably to haul trucks of up to 400 t while transporting materials. 
March 5, 2024 by

Eskom says it is on track for permanent repair of Kusile stack by Dec

Eskom insists it is on track to complete the repairs to the ducts in the west stack at the Kusile power station by December 2024, ahead of the March 31, 2025, deadline set by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) when it last year authorised the use of temporary stacks that bypass the key pollution control system. The west stack was rendered inoperable when Kusile’s Unit 1 flue duct collapsed because of an uncontrolled build-up of slurry on October 23, 2022. The failure eliminated 2 100 MW of Kusile’s capacity from an already stretched system, as units 2 and 3’s flues, which share a stack or chimney with that of Unit 1, were also damaged by the collapse.
March 5, 2024 by

Solar, battery, inverter imports surged to R70bn in 2023 as wind turbines recovered from …

South African imports of solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and inverters climbed to a record $3.8-billion last year, or about R70-billion, while imports of wind turbines began to recover following a two-year lull, analysis compiled by Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies senior economist Gaylor Montmasson-Clair shows. Imports in 2023 were double the $1.7-billion of 2022 and lifted the overall value of the three energy components imported over the ten years from 2014 to 2023 to above $10-billion.
March 4, 2024 by

TNPA to appoint developer soon for common-user infrastructure required for LNG terminal

South Africa’s Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) expects to appoint a developer within months for the common-user infrastructure required to support the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal at the Port of Richards Bay, in KwaZulu-Natal. In January, the State-owned company announced that it had selected a consortium comprising Vopak and Transnet Pipelines to design, develop, construct, finance, operate, and maintain an LNG terminal in the South Dunes Precinct at the deep-water port for a period of 25 years.
March 4, 2024 by

Assessment of Eskom coal fleet warns ‘fixation on the EAF is a dead end’

An expert assessment of the state of Eskom’s 14 coal-fired power stations conducted between March and May 2023 describes the prevailing “fixation” on the coal fleet’s energy availability factor (EAF) as a “dead end” that was leading to poorer plant performance. Conducted for the National Treasury by a Vgbe-led consortium, the report notes that outage and maintenance activities had been deferred over the last months and years to lift – or at least to maintain – the EAF.
March 1, 2024 by

UK Hydrogen Week highlights green hydrogen investments

Following its inauguration last year, UK Hydrogen Week is taking place once again, from February 26 to March 3. The World Platinum investment Council says more than 6 300 individuals and 110 partners and supporters will be participating in the initiative, which aims to bring together stakeholders from across the UK to highlight the role of hydrogen in reaching the UK’s net-zero targets.
March 1, 2024 by

EWSETA develops, implements specialised renewable energy, water training programmes

To support the development of critical skills within the water and energy sector, the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) is developing and implementing specialised renewable energy and water resource management training programmes in a bid to align with industry needs and technological advancements. Among the courses in the pipeline are water works management, solar panel installation, wind turbine maintenance and other green energy solutions.
March 1, 2024 by

PPP reforms could avert need for prescribed-assets policy to increase private infrastructure …

National Treasury director-general Dr Duncan Pieterse says the reforms being proposed to facilitate greater private sector investment into infrastructure could obviate the need to introduce a policy of ‘prescribed assets’, whereby pension funds would be required to direct a specified level of resources towards government-selected assets. Pieterse made the statement in response to a question posed during a virtual event hosted by PSG regarding government’s position on prescribed assets, which the governing African National Congress has included in its election manifesto as an instrument it could consider introducing to stimulate infrastructure investment and industrialisation.
March 1, 2024 by