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Urgent actions needed to deal with energy crisis, says Busa

Business organisation Business Unity South Africa (Busa) is urging government to urgently implement identified priority interventions, as the economic damage of the ongoing load-shedding is “severe and there must be an immediate intervention to deal with the crisis to at least manage load-shedding better”. Small and medium-sized businesses, in particular, are experiencing severe difficulties and many may not be able to recover from this, the organisation warns.
September 22, 2022 by

Affordability of Eskom’s 32% hike comes under intense scrutiny on last day of hearings

The affordability of the 32% tariff hike being sought by Eskom for implementation on April 1 next year came under intense scrutiny on the last day of National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) public hearings. The regulator, which adjudicated the first year of the three-year fifth multiyear price determination (MYPD5) in January, when it approved a 9.61% increase for the 2023 financial year against an Eskom request for 20.5%, expects to decide for the 2024 and 2025 financial years by November 7.
September 21, 2022 by

IDC visits Nordex turbine manufacturing facilities in Spain to investigate wind sector …

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has sent a delegation to Spain to visit wind energy company Nordex’s wind turbine manufacturing facilities, as South Africa’s accelerated energy transition and its push for sector industrialisation requires increased local manufacturing, with a projected localisation target of well over 55% for government procurement by the end of the decade. To achieve this, government’s support through policy, smooth procurement and investment will be the key enabler. The exploratory trip will allow for first-hand discussions with the original equipment manufacturer, the IDC says.
September 21, 2022 by

Eskom outlines plan to return 8 GW of coal this week as Nersa questions rampant diesel costs

Eskom told the regulator on Tuesday that its immediate focus was on returning 14 coal units to service over the coming four days, in an effort to recover 8 012 MW of coal generation so as to ease load-shedding, which was being implemented at Stage 5. Although the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) hearings are concerned primarily with the State-owned utility’s request for a 32% tariff hike, regulatory members had requested an update on load-shedding and its implications for the utility’s costs during the first day of hearings on Monday.
September 20, 2022 by

SBI calls on govt to stablise Eskom, remove remaining restrictions on independent power

Business organisation the Small Business Institute (SBI) calls on government to accelerate the implementation of measures to stabilise power utility Eskom, as businesses, and especially small businesses that are supposed to create 90% of jobs by 2030, are suffering from rolling blackouts. “Load-shedding is undermining everything we are trying to achieve as a country – from growth to jobs and poverty reduction. The investment drive by the president is being hobbled by uncertainty arising from unreliable power supply,” says SBI CEO John Dludlu.
September 20, 2022 by

Eskom needs 32% hike to solve debt problem, says CFO

Eskom CFO Calib Cassim says that even if Eskom is relieved of R200-billion in debt, the company will soon be back in the same position if it doesn’t significantly raise tariffs, cut costs, and get people and municipalities to pay their bills.  Cassim was speaking at the first day of hearings on Eskom’s tariff application to the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) on Monday, where Eskom is asking for a 32% increase for 2023/24. 
September 20, 2022 by

Project agreements for three BW5 wind projects to be signed this week

A signing ceremony will be held on Thursday for three wind projects that were selected in October last year as preferred bidders under Bid Window Five (BW5) of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). In total, 25 wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) projects were named as preferred bidders by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe following a bidding process that was launched in April last year.
September 20, 2022 by

eThekwini has R324bn plan to end power cuts

The South African municipality that includes the Port city of Durban, eThekwini, has laid out plans to attract R324-billion in power plant investments by 2035 amid the country’s worst-ever electricity outages. This city of about four-million people, South Africa’s third biggest, plans to issue a request for proposals for the construction of 400 MW of power generation capacity later this year or early in 2023, depending on when it gets permission from the National Treasury. The tender could attract R10-billion in investment, Sbu Ntshalintshali, the municipality’s head of energy transition, said in a presentation dated September 13.
September 20, 2022 by