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Eskom agitates for ‘overthrow of the state’ by not dealing with loadshedding – Mantashe

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has accused Eskom of “actively agitating for the overthrow of the state” as it continues to implement load shedding, which hit Stage 6 this week as power plants suffered breakdowns. At a signing ceremony for 13 new independent power projects on Thursday, Mantashe said load shedding was becoming worse than state capture because of how it directly affects citizens and takes a toll on the economy.
December 8, 2022 by

VW says South Africa must end coal dependence for EVs to make sense

South Africa must wean itself off coal if locally produced electric vehicles (EVs) – a key element of the government’s decarbonisation plan – are to be climate friendly, the country head of Volkswagen said on Wednesday. Wealthy nations have already committed $8.5-billion to help Africa’s most industrialised nation cut its emissions. The South African government is seeking roughly ten times that amount, including R128-billion to fund a transition to EVs.
December 8, 2022 by

Eskom’s desperate scramble to avoid Stage 7

Eskom on Wednesday evening called off the planned outage of Koeberg unit 1 at the eleventh hour as the utility scrambled to avoid moving to Stage 7 loadshedding. The decision, not yet announced by the utility, was confirmed to News24 by two independent sources who did not want to be named as they are not authorised to speak to the media.
December 8, 2022 by

Industrial development and climate action are ‘mutually dependent’ – Habeck

German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, argues that there can no longer be a trade-off between industrial development and climate action. Speaking at the fourth German-African Business Summit in Sandton on Wednesday, Habeck said that the approach being pursued by the German government was premised on creating new markets and industrial opportunities that included climate action.
December 7, 2022 by

Construction starts on Karo platinum project; Total Eren, Chariot to undertake solar PV …

French-based renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) Total Eren and Aim-listed Chariot, pursuant to a partnership entered into in November 2021, have agreed to work together on the development, financing, construction and operation of a solar photovoltaic (PV) project that will provide competitive electricity for the Karo platinum project, in Zimbabwe. The solar PV project is expected to have an initial installed capacity of 30 M, with a potential extension of up to 300 MW.
December 7, 2022 by

France’s Engie South African solar projects to progress as more awaited

Engie expects to move forward with three South African solar projects this week as the nation struggles to accelerate a program to add renewable power. The French developer plans to sign power-purchase agreements for a total of 225 MW of solar projects after being selected as a preferred bidder as part of the so-called fifth bid window, according to Mohamed Hoosen, Engie’s managing director for renewables in Africa, Middle East and Asia.
December 7, 2022 by

SSC to build massive wind farm, green hydrogen production plant

Diversified minerals and investment group Siyakhula Sonke Empowerment Corporation (SSC Group) has confirmed it is in pre-feasibility stage and finalising an environment risk assessment on a 117 MW wind farm project, which will power a 69 MW electrolysis production plant, in Jeffreys Bay, in the Eastern Cape.

The electrolysis plant will have a green hydrogen production capacity of about 9.8 t/y.

December 7, 2022 by