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Municipal debt piles pressure on Eskom’s restructuring efforts

Billions of rand that South African municipalities owe Eskom are hindering the State-owned power utility’s plan to restructure and separate its distribution unit, according to chairperson Mteto Nyati. South Africa’s municipalities owed Eskom R95.4-billion by November as they struggle to collect revenue from customers and available funds are sometimes misappropriated after years of mismanagement.
January 7, 2025 by

Namibia seeks investment in nuclear power from China

Namibia, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, is seeking investment from China in nuclear power to boost its role in the global push to clean energy.

“We want to add value to our uranium for the peaceful development of nuclear energy,” President Nangolo Mbumba said Monday during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a week-long visit to Africa.

January 7, 2025 by

Ministry unpacks latest renewable energy preferred bidder awards

The Ministry of Electricity and Energy has unveiled the preferred bidders for Bid Window 7 (BW 7) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), naming eight preferred bidders for projects with a combined contracted capacity of 1 760 MW.

Infinity Power Holding secured six projects, while Mulilo Renewable Project Developments and Scatec Solar Africa each won one. The projects will be located in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the Free State, representing investment of R31.4-billion.

January 6, 2025 by

Nersa to announce decision on Eskom MYPD6 by month-end

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has said that its evaluation of  State-owned utility Eskom’s sixth multi-year price determination (MYPD6) revenue application is in progress, with a final decision expected by the end of January. The regulator attributed the timeline to an extended public hearing period, the volume of information received and the need for further clarification on certain aspects of the application.
January 6, 2025 by

Sturdee and Old Mutual acquire majority stake in Namibia’s largest solar PV plant

Old Mutual Investment Group Namibia (OMIGNAM), Namibia’s largest asset manager, has partnered with renewable energy company Sturdee Energy Namibia and Namibian financial services company IJG to acquire a 51% stake in Alten Solar Power (Hardap), the biggest grid-tied solar PV power plant in Namibia. The shareholding, acquired from Alten RE Developments Africa , represents a milestone in expanding Namibia’s secondary market for renewable energy projects. In a joint statement on December 20, Sturdee and Old Mutual emphasised that the transaction aligned institutional investors, including funds co-managed by Old Mutual and IJG, with Namibia’s renewable energy and climate change goals. Among these funds is the Namibian Infrastructure Equity Investment Fund Trust, with the Government Institutions Pension Fund as a main investor.
January 6, 2025 by

Zimbabwe invites power-storage bids to ease supply crisis

Zimbabwe’s power-transmission company has invited bids for companies to install energy-storage units as part of measures to ease crippling energy shortages.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission & Distribution Co. wants battery-storage units installed on four sites that will provide at least three hours of 600 MW each in peak hours, it said in a statement in a government notice.

January 6, 2025 by

Eskom risk premium falls as turnaround wins over bond investors

Eskom Holdings’s risk premium is dwindling as a turnaround at South Africa’s State-owned electricity company gathers momentum. The extra yield investors demand to take on the risk of holding the utility’s dollar debt without the benefit of a government guarantee narrowed to the lowest on record following the publication of the utility’s results on Thursday. And the yield premium over comparable US Treasuries is also at the lowest since the Eskom securities were issued in 2018.
December 20, 2024 by

Eskom reports R25.5bn loss amid systemic challenges, recovery efforts

State-owned power utility Eskom has reported a R25.5-billion loss before tax for the financial year ending March 31, 2024, following a year marked by operational setbacks, financial strain and systemic inefficiencies. With 329 days of loadshedding and heavy reliance on costly open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) during the 2024 financial year, along with escalating municipal debt, the utility continued to face persistent challenges while working towards recovery.
December 19, 2024 by