Entries by

Smaller municipalities to benefit from smart energy management tech

As South Africa’s electricity market transformation creates new opportunities for smart energy management and cost optimisation, smaller municipalities are finding themselves at a disadvantage compared to well-resourced metros, says specialised energy and water management solutions developer Utility Consulting Services (UTCS).  In an effort to tackle this inequality UTCS is making advanced digital energy platforms accessible to rural and under-resourced municipalities that previously lacked the means to participate fully in the new energy economy.
January 23, 2026 by

Presidency official says unbundling of Eskom should not be pursued ‘half-heartedly’

The Presidency’s Rudi Dicks, who is overseeing the economic reforms being implemented under Operation Vulindlela, says the unbundling of Eskom’s transmission business cannot be done “half-heartedly” if South Africa is to introduce the competition needed to help improve electricity affordability. Speaking during a panel discussion hosted by Bowmans on the financing of South Africa’s just energy transition, Dicks expressed his support for the full unbundling of the transmission business and assets from Eskom Holdings.
January 22, 2026 by

New online tool offers instant assessment of a project’s ‘just transition’ credentials

A new online portal has been launched to enable project originators and/or financiers to determine quickly whether the project being assessed aligns with the principles of South Africa’s just transition and could, thus, qualify for just-transition financing. Developed by Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS), the Just Transition Finance Tool is free to use and has been designed to provide a consistent, evidence-based way to assess a project’s just credentials using an algorithm that interrogates the project’s climate, socioeconomic and community objectives.
January 22, 2026 by

Engie welcomes back veteran energy expert as MD of renewables unit

Green energy company Engie South Africa has appointed Sanjeev Mungroo MD of its renewables and batteries business, effective January 1.

Engie South Africa says in a statement issued on January 22 that Mungroo’s appointment marks a strategic step forward for the company’s growth in the country and a personal full-circle moment as Mungroo was the company’s third employee when it first established operations in the country.

January 22, 2026 by

UK extends $1bn climate-pact guarantee to South Africa

The UK and the African Development Bank extended a climate-linked $1-billion debt guarantee to South Africa, saving a $400-million municipal funding deal that was in jeopardy if it had expired. The guarantee, part of a $10-billion climate-finance pact between South Africa and some of the world’s richest nations, was due to expire at the end of last year. The pact is known as the Just Energy Transition Partnership.
January 22, 2026 by

Cost of ferrochrome electricity deal cannot be ‘socialised’, Ramokgopa reiterates

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has reiterated that the cost of the solution being pursued to salvage South Africa’s ferrochrome smelters, most of which have been closed on the back of surging electricity tariffs, cannot be subsidised by other consumers. Speaking to Radio 702 from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ramokgopa confirmed that he was meeting with some global mining CEOs on a proposed solution, which had already been canvassed with domestic CEOs and labour leaders.
January 21, 2026 by

Eskom says no risk of loadshedding after reducing power from Koeberg

Eskom has offered an assurance that there is no risk of loadshedding, after it confirmed that the two units at Koeberg nuclear power station are being operated at reduced power due to a line fault from the Pinotage transmission substation. It has also given the assurance the the station is operating safely and securely, and that all regulatory and operational protocols are being followed.
January 21, 2026 by

Koeberg temporarily operated at reduced power

Power utility Eskom reported on January 20 that both units at the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, in the Western Cape, were safely reduced from full power to 100 MW each earlier in the day following a fault on the 132 kV transmission lines supplied from the Pinotage transmission substation near Stellenbosch. It stated this was an expected response under such circumstances, designed to protect the integrity of the power station and the national grid.
January 21, 2026 by