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Research team develops plans to use old mines as power generating plants

An international team of researchers have developed a method to store kinetic energy, which can later be converted to electrical energy, using decommissioned underground mines.

The Underground Gravity Energy Storage (UGES) concept, developed through a study led by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), works by using the weight of sand and letting it fall down a mineshaft through regenerative braking systems that power dynamos, which produce electricity.

January 13, 2023 by

Renewables industrialisation plan to be aligned to expected surge in private projects

The newly appointed facilitator of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) expects a draft document to be completed by mid-2023 and for the final masterplan to be negotiated before year-end. Gaylor Montmasson-Clair has also indicated that the industrialisation plan will be adjusted to the emerging reality that private rather than public procurement is likely to underpin a significant portion of future demand.
January 13, 2023 by

Nersa approves 18.65% Eskom hike as it holds back on big diesel request

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has granted Eskom a 18.65% tariff increase for implementation on April 1, below the 32% hike that was being sought by the lossmaking utility but well above the inflation-type levels that most stakeholders had argued should be implemented during public hearings in September. Nersa also approved a 12.74% increase for Eskom’s 2024/25 financial year, against a request for 9.74%.
January 12, 2023 by

Professor proposes agri, household waste is the answer to more electrification

A professor from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology has identified household and agricultural waste in South Africa as a valuable source of clean energy that can be deployed in communities, complexes and individual homes at a lower cost and with a faster return on investment than solar power.

Professor Vincent Okudoh, associate professor for biotechnology at the university’s Department of Biotechnology and Consumer Sciences, says more people globally are recognising biogas as a safe, affordable and environment-friendly source of power.

January 12, 2023 by

VoltVision launches power analytics centre in Joburg

Digitised industrial power networks company VoltVision has opened a global power analytics centre in Johannesburg that will provide expert technical interpretation of performance data from clients’ high- and medium-voltage (HV and MV) electrical networks worldwide. The centre will also pioneer centralised monitoring, allowing clients improved visibility across multiple remote locations.
January 12, 2023 by

Godongwana says Eskom, crime key disruptors to South Africa’s investment case

Ahead of South Africa’s government delegation traveling to Davos, Switzerland, to take part in the upcoming yearly World Economic Forum, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana says South Africa’s electricity crisis and high crime rates are chief among the challenges faced by the country, requiring urgent attention so the country can attract more investors.

Other areas of focus include balancing focus between the macro and microeconomic environment and appropriate policies and decisions thereto, as well as reducing the amount of burdensome “red tape” for foreign companies wanting to invest in South Africa.

January 12, 2023 by

Steenhuisen questions govt’s slow progress in dealing with loadshedding

Political party the Democratic Alliance (DA) federal leader John Steenhuisen has written a letter to President Cyril Ramaphosa, asking why his government refuses to implement the obvious solutions to the electricity crisis that have been proposed for years.

This comes as the country is again experiencing Stage 6 loadshedding and follows what has been exponential loadshedding growth from 141 hours (six days) in 2018 to 3 776 hours (157 days) in 2022.

January 12, 2023 by

Stage 6 loadshedding to run continuously until further notice

Eskom has announced that Stage 6 loadshedding will now run continuously from 16:00 on Wednesday until further notice.  The power utility said that 11 generators amounting to 5 084MW of capacity suffered breakdowns since Tuesday morning. These were a unit each at the Camden, Duvha, Grootvlei, Hendrina, Kendal, and two units each at Kriel, Majuba and Matla power stations. 
January 11, 2023 by