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Investment firms partner to launch R150m smart utilities, infrastructure initiative

Real estate investment and fund manager ALT Capital Partners, through its REimagine Fund 1, has formed a strategic partnership with the investment holding company New GX Capital funded Airnergize Ventures, which focuses on early-stage and scalable disruptive utilities management businesses. Its first investment is into Bolide, which is an integrated utilities brand designed to bridge the utilities service divide, thereby assisting businesses and body corporates to spend less for cleaner and sustainable funded utilities.
October 21, 2025 by

Industrial gas users welcome demand certainty created by IRP, but warn that supply questions linger

The Industrial Gas Users Association of Southern Africa (IGUA-SA) has welcomed the focus given to gas in the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 (IRP 2025), but executive officer Jaco Human says critical supply-side questions will still have to be answered if the impending gas supply cliff is to be averted. Describing as a significant shift the plan’s target of raising the share of gas in the electricity generation mix to 11% by 2039, or to 16 000 MW from close to zero currently, Human said IGUA-SA wholeheartedly welcomed the “strategic pivot towards gas”.
October 21, 2025 by

Minister’s ‘State will lead, market will follow’ electricity assertion raises questions

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s insistence that the State will lead and the market follow in the procurement of new electricity generation, while simultaneously indicating that any new investment will be “off balance sheet” for government and, thus, funded by the private sector, has raised questions. The Minister made the statement at a briefing held to release details of the updated Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2025), which he argued set the policy framework and that “everyone will procure according to this policy”. This, while also acknowledging that policy adjustments had been made that resulted in the plan deviating from a least-cost outcome.
October 20, 2025 by

Adjudication board rules Stefanutti entitled to R685m additional payment for work at Kusile

The Dispute Adjudication Board (DAB) has issued its decision with respect to a dispute between JSE-listed Stefanutti Stocks and State-owned utility Eskom over the Kusile power station, finding that Stefanutti is entitled to additional payment of R685-million, excluding value-added tax. Both parties have the right to refer the decision to arbitration, however, in terms of the contract, the decision is binding and must be given effect to, unless and until it is revised by amicable settlement or an arbitral award.
October 20, 2025 by

IRP 2025 raises gas load factor to 50% as adjustments are also made to accommodate nuclear and …

South Africa’s latest Cabinet-approved Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2025) includes several policy adjustments that deviate from the least-cost scenario modelled, including a raising of the minimum load factor to 50% for the initial gas-to-power (GtP) plants proposed for construction by 2030. The updated plan, which will be Gazetted by October 24, has allocated 6 000 MW to GtP by that date, a target that Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa acknowledged during a briefing would be difficult to meet.
October 19, 2025 by

EY unpacks value of smart meter management, digital integration as power system decentralises

As the South African energy sector undergoes a profound shift from traditional, centralised power generation to a more decentralised but interconnected one, digitally integrated systems can optimise production, strengthen grid management, improve efficiency and enable real-time decision-making, consultancy EY said this week.

EY senior specialist consultant Rashid Khan unpacked the value that digital technologies can bring to electricity systems that are more demanding on the grid and require smart balancing for stability.

October 17, 2025 by

SAPVIA welcomes solar overtaking coal as world’s main energy source

Industry organisation the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) welcomes the findings of global energy think tank Ember, which has reported that renewable energy sources surpassed coal to become the world’s largest source of electricity generation in the first half of this year. This finding underscores the momentum of the solar-led energy transition and SAPVIA views this global turning point that was driven primarily by record growth in solar power as a validation of its vision for a sustainable and secure energy future for South Africa.
October 17, 2025 by

Malmesbury solar plant to be doubled to 10 MW as companies sign up for green electricity

The 5.6 MW first phase of the SlimSun Too Solar development, located in Malmesbury in the Western Cape, is in its final commissioning stage and will soon begin supplying wheeled renewable electricity to businesses that have contracted with licensed trader Energy Exchange of Southern Africa (EXSA). The R87-million project has been developed in partnership with independent power producer Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS), which has also acted as the engineering, procurement and construction contractor.
October 17, 2025 by

Industrial pushing solar energy in South Africa

Industry was the biggest driver of solar energy adoption in South Africa. This was highlighted by Stellenbosch University Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies Senior Researcher Dr François Rozon, at the Solar & Storage Live Cape Town 2025 conference, on Thursday. Industry, he reported, had installed 4 GW of solar generating capacity, so far. This private generation capacity was double the amount installed by the country’s independent power producers, for public consumption.
October 17, 2025 by