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Govt moves to ease enviro path for solar and battery projects

The South African government is moving to exclude solar photovoltaic (PV) and battery storage facilities from the requirement to obtain environmental authorisation in areas where the environmental sensitivity is officially classified to be medium to low. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy is seeking public comment on the plan, which is outlined in a Government Gazette notice, indicating that the exclusion has been proposed in terms of Section 24(2)(d) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998 and applies subject to compliance with a prescribed ‘norm’ developed in terms of 24(10) of the National Environmental Management Act, 1998.
April 17, 2023 by

New R1.2bn solar project will shield Cape Town from one stage of loadshedding

The City of Cape Town has decided to pursue an R1.2-billion solar PV and battery storage project, which should shield it from one full stage of loadshedding. The Paardevlei Ground-mounted Solar Photovoltaic and Battery Energy Storage System Project is a 60MW renewable energy project that will be located just outside Somerset West on a site of 400 hectares, which is owned by the city. 
April 17, 2023 by

L2D bolstering solar capacity across its asset portfolio

Real estate investment trust Liberty Two Degrees (L2D) is continuing to roll out solar energy capacity across its asset portfolio. To achieve its Scope 1 and 2 net-zero emissions target by 2030, the company says it continues to make considerable strides in implementing portfolio-wide energy management improvements, while also increasing solar capacity through the installation of additional solar photovoltaic (PV) panels.
April 17, 2023 by

Climate commission identifies areas to address in electricity recommendations

At a National Colloquium held on April 14, the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) identified several key points, some facets of contention and further areas of consideration with regard to its newly released draft recommendations to government on national electricity planning, as South Africa reviews its Integrated Resource Plan (IRP). Following discussions during the colloquium, the PCC reiterated that the country was in the midst of a global energy transition that held major implications for the South African economy, jobs and people’s welfare.
April 17, 2023 by

AfDB, AFD extend $300m in funding to Tanzania’s Kakono hydroelectric plant

The government of Tanzania, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the French Development Agency (AFD) have signed agreements for two development project loans worth $300-million to finance the construction of the 87.8 MW Kakono hydropower plant in Tanzania.

Located in the Kagera region, in the northern part of Tanzania, the hydroelectric project also received a grant of €36-million from the European Union (EU).

April 17, 2023 by

Investment in expanding economic activity most important – BLSA

Business lobby organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso says much of the investment commitments made during the South Africa Investment Conference are effectively replacement investments, such as companies building their own electricity plants because they can no longer rely on State-owned Eskom to produce it. “Such investments do not expand the capacity of the economy, but merely protect the existing capacity. Investment is not a good in and of itself. It is good for what it creates, including economic activity and to enable citizens to live better lives,” she states in her weekly newsletter.
April 17, 2023 by

Colloquium fleshes out JET issues

As South Africa progresses on its just energy transition (JET) journey, there are several areas on which stakeholders have agreed, while others require further debate, consideration and acknowledgement. This was indicated by Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy, summing up a panel discussion during the Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) National Colloquium on long-term electricity planning and the just transition, held on April 14.
April 14, 2023 by

Bheki Nxumalo appointed Eskom generation head

State-owned power utility Eskom has appointed Bheki Nxumalo group executive for generation, with immediate effect. He will report directly to the Eskom Group acting CE Calib Cassim. Nxumalo’s career in the energy sector spans over 20 years from junior to senior management and executive levels. He is an all-round business leader comfortable in governance, people and technical aspects of the role, the utility said in a statement.
April 14, 2023 by