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Electricity veteran offers his A-to-Z guide for tackling load-shedding crisis

Ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s much-anticipated announcement of a comprehensive plan for tackling load-shedding, electricity industry veteran Vally Padayachee has drafted an ‘A-to-Z’ guideline for addressing the crisis over the coming two years. Padayachee, who has 40 years of energy experience and is currently strategic adviser to the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities, has drafted the proposed interventions in his personal capacity.
July 13, 2022 by

Mpumalanga considering green economy opportunities

The Mpumalanga province is considering steps to diversify its economy away from its reliance on coal mining and coal-fired power generation and to promote the green economy, particularly in relation to climate-resilient agriculture, Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane said on July 13. During a trade and investment roundtable discussion with business owners from the US, she said the province was repositioning itself as a “strategic province to implement a successful transition” from coal-fired power to renewable energy.
July 13, 2022 by

UK Africa Minister has visited South Africa to discuss just energy transition and other issues

The UK High Commission (embassy) in Pretoria reported on Wednesday that that country’s Minister (equivalent to Deputy Minister in South Africa) for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford, had visited South Africa on Monday and Tuesday. The visit had focused on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), women’s economic empowerment, and trade, as well as other areas of mutual interest. The JETP was unveiled at the COP26 United Nations climate conference in November last year. Under it, the UK, France, Germany, the US and the European Union have committed to provide an initial $8.5-billion to fund a just transition of South Africa’s energy matrix from its current reliance on ‘dirty’ energy to green energy in the future. The actual transition plan will, however, be South African-led.   
July 13, 2022 by

Eskom welcomes arrest of former ABB Group employees

State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the arrest of two former employees of former contractor ABB Group (ABB), as well as their spouses, for alleged corruption linked to Eskom contracts worth R2.2-billion. The four were arrested on July 12 by the Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in a joint operation with the Hawks and the South African Revenue Service, for alleged corruption related to Eskom contracts awarded to ABB in 2015.
July 13, 2022 by

Small IPPs consider legal action after programme is cancelled

Some of the preferred bidders that participated in the Small Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme (Smalls), which has subsequently been terminated, are considering legal action against Eskom and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to have the projects reinstated or to be reimbursed for costs incurred. The 100 MW programme was launched in 2013 for projects between 1 MW and 5 MW in size and was open to bidders employing onshore wind, solar photovoltaic, biomass, biogas or landfill technologies.
July 13, 2022 by

Solidarity calls on Parliament to remove obstacles to private power generation

Trade union Solidarity says it has submitted a petition to Parliament, demanding that all regulatory or legislative obstacles to unlimited private power generation be removed as a matter of urgency. “It is obvious that Eskom does not have the capacity to supply in the country’s current energy needs and it will certainly not be able to meet future energy needs. Eskom itself will decommission most of its coal fleet in the coming decades with 22 000 MW to be decommissioned by 2035.
July 12, 2022 by

Renewable Energy Product & Expertise conference will showcase local capability

UK-government-funded initiative Trade Forward Southern Africa (TFSA) and consultancy Africa House will on July 19 and 20 host a South African Renewable Energy Product & Expertise Showcase in Cape town.

The event will highlight the regional project supply opportunities and is a unique occasion for South Africa suppliers to access regional markets for renewable energy-related products.

July 12, 2022 by

AfriForum demands transparent information on Eskom’s active contracts

Civil rights organisation AfriForum has served a public access to information (PAIA) application on Eskom, demanding information on active contracts that the national power provider currently has with various service providers, including coal suppliers and transport companies that transport the coal. According to AfriForum, the government’s record of managing State-owned companies leaves much to be desired.
July 12, 2022 by