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New battery manufacturing body wants local content designated in large industrial and …

Six local lithium battery and inverter manufacturers have joined forces to form the South African Battery Manufacturers Association (SABMA) in an effort to raise awareness of the country’s energy storage prowess and champion South Africa as a global production hub. Formed officially in October by Balancell, BlueNova Energy, Creslow Energy Solutions, Freedom Won, maxwell+spark and Solar MD, SABMA aims to promote the growth of the domestic manufacturing sector and advocate for industry-friendly trade and industrial policy.
December 5, 2025 by

Opinion: The African grid of the future – smart, connected, resilient

In this article, GE Vernova grid solutions chief strategy and growth officer for the Middle East and Africa Bernard Dagher writes that meeting Africa’s rising electricity demand will require a significant expansion of generation and transmission infrastructure and that digitisation could play a role in delivering cost savings and efficiency improvements. The continent is projected to increase electricity generation from 939 TWh in 2024 to 1 446 TWh in 2035 – an increase of 54% in less than a decade (IEA World Energy Outlook 2025). Delivering this capacity to consumers requires a substantial commitment to grid infrastructure development. This development goes beyond traditional transmission and distribution lines; it involves creating a grid prepared for a world that is decarbonising and electrifying.
December 5, 2025 by

ACTOM unveils revitalised transformer factory in Pretoria

Electromechanical equipment manufacturer ACTOM has unveiled a revitalised transformer production and testing facility in Pretoria. The 40 000 m2 site previously served as a factory for Powertech Transformers’ SGB-SMIT Power Matla subsidiary, which entered into business rescue in September 2023 owing to financial distress.
December 5, 2025 by

Solar plant success heralds Namibia’s wheeling push

Making headway in the Namibian energy sector, renewable-energy solutions provider Sustainable Power Solutions’ (SPS’s) latest project – the 10 MW Maxwell solar power plant – is a wheeling project that could signal the evolution of Namibia’s energy transition.   The Maxwell plant, which was successfully commission in May 2025, will be providing clean solar power to gold producer B2Gold’s Otjikoto mine until 2031 and will produce about 26 GW/h – or 26 000 MW/h – of solar power a year.
December 5, 2025 by

Firm’s preconfigured stack helps IPPs, traders participate in MSB market

For a new Namibian independent power producer (IPP) or supplier working through Modified Single Buyer (MSB) registration and then stepping into Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) trading, specialist software solutions provider Enerweb’s fastest “time-to-participation” path employs a preconfigured software stack, says Enerweb chief innovation officer Gerard Van Harmelen. He notes that, with Namibia embarking on an energy transition characterised by its shift from an import-dependent system to a diversified, renewables-rich energy mix, the next decade will see an increase in solar PV and wind projects, complemented by battery energy storage systems, as well as more IPP-driven wheeling projects, and greater regional integration through SAPP.
December 5, 2025 by

Renewables company provides key services to Namibian energy sector

Renewable energy project solutions company Harmattan Renewables is involved in the Mariental and Greenam solar PV plants, providing due diligence services, and is currently Lenders’ Technical Adviser on the Rosh Pinah 5 MW solar plant, demonstrating its ability to capitalise on Namibia’s rapidly emerging renewable-energy market. The company seeks to leverage its experience to capitalise on Namibia’s renewable-energy sector’s potential – particularly in the solar energy space, as it is the most abundant renewable resource – helping to cement the future of energy and electricity generation in Namibia in the long term. This, in addition to offering complementary support to the wind energy sector.
December 5, 2025 by

Infrastructure focus could spark long-awaited construction revival but obstacles persist

South Africa’s construction and infrastructure sector enters 2026 with a rare window of opportunity. The Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement (MTBPS), delivered by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana in October, sets out a decisive, albeit fragile, pivot towards rebuilding the country’s economic base by shifting the composition of public spending away from consumption and towards capital investment. The National Treasury’s insistence on restoring fiscal discipline is paired with an equally strong …
December 5, 2025 by

Drilling project uncovers potentially beneficial gas condensate

An operational update, released by exploration company Rhino Resources Namibia in October, reported the discovery of a high liquid-yield gas condensate during an offshore drilling campaign on Block 2914A of the Orange basin, Namibia. Commenting on the update, Rhino CEO Travis Smithard said: “[We] are delighted to announce the discovery of a high liquid-yield gas condensate in an excellent quality reservoir at the Volans-1X well.”
December 5, 2025 by

Hydrogen to keep on growing as it emerges from hype cycle; China rapidly driving down costs

The hydrogen sector may have been in a hype cycle for the last few years, but the fundamentals around the global energy market have not changed – the need for clean and localised energy and a just energy transition remain, says Dr David Hart. Hart, who does work for H-ETA and ERM, spoke on a number of hydrogen-related issues at a Nedbank-hosted hydrogen roundtable held in Cape Town last week.
December 4, 2025 by