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Karpowership slates South African government over project delays

Karpowership, the world’s biggest supplier of floating gas-fired power plants, said some South African government agencies have stalled its projects and their conduct isn’t conducive to creating an attractive investment environment. The Turkish company in March last year won the right to supply South Africa with 1,220 megawatts of electricity, or more than 60% of a so-called emergency tender designed to ease intermittent power outages. The 20-year deal was valued at 218 billion rand ($14 billion) at the time.
June 2, 2022 by

Kusile Unit 4 enters commercial operation, two more units to go

Eskom has announced that Kusile Unit 4, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, has entered into commercial operation, adding some 800 MW of much-needed generation capacity to South Africa’s load-shedding-prone electricity system. The unit is the fourth of six units to enter commercial operation at the much-delayed 4 800-MW project, where design defects have also negatively affected the performance of the units that have been connected previously.
June 1, 2022 by

Small nuclear power projects may have big waste problems – study

A planned new generation of small nuclear reactors will create more waste than conventional reactors, while treatments to make some types of waste safe could be exploited by militants trying to obtain fissile materials, a study published on Tuesday said. The projects, called small modular reactors (SMR), are designed to be simpler and safer than conventional plants in the case of accident. They are also expected to be built in factories as opposed to today’s massive light-water reactors that are built on site and typically run billions of dollars over budget.
June 1, 2022 by

Feasibility study of Namibia’s gigawatt-scale green hydrogen project to start this year

The preferred bidder for a gigawatt-scale green hydrogen-to-ammonia project near the coastal town of Lüderitz, in Namibia, is aiming to conclude an implementation agreement with government by August, opening the way for a full-scale feasibility study to enable the implementation of the $10-billion project. Following a competitive bidding process, the Namibian government announced the selection of Hyphen Hydrogen Energy as the preferred bidder for the country’s first green hydrogen project in November 2021.
June 1, 2022 by

Contracts for ‘emergency’ power procurement programme to be signed on June 2

Power purchase agreements (PPAs) arising from the much-delayed Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) will be signed on June 2, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy revealed on Tuesday. The DMRE did not indicated whether all 11 projects would be signed, saying only that the signing ceremony would be held in Centurion and would be presided over by Mineral resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.
May 31, 2022 by

As fuel-levy reduction is extended, govt warns of R4.5bn fiscal hit

The South African government has announced a two-month extension to the temporary reduction in the general fuel levy, but has warned that the R4.5-billion in foregone revenue will have an impact on the fiscal framework. In a joint statement Minister Enoch Godongwana and Gwede Mantashe announced that Godongwana had submitted a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly, requesting the tabling of a two-month proposal for the extension of the reduction in the general fuel levy.
May 31, 2022 by

Renewable energy the most effective load-shedding mitigation strategy, says Scatec

South Africa is well-positioned for effective renewable energy generation, as abundant sun and wind resources, combined with the quick turnaround of establishing renewables-based projects, make for the most effective and sustainable solutions to the energy risks South Africa faces, says renewable energy company Scatec sub-Saharan Africa GM Jan Fourie. Recent developments in technology and innovation in the renewable energy sector have led to the viability of on-demand power generation at a stable cost over the long term, making it a safer and more cost-effective solution for the country, he notes.
May 31, 2022 by

Major contract awarded to complete development of Brazil’s third nuclear reactor

Brazilian Federal State-owned nuclear energy company Eletronuclear has signed a “Term of Commitment” with another Brazilian company, Nuclebrás Equipamentos Pesados (Nuclep), which is also a Federal State-owned undertaking, to manufacture and deliver new heat exchangers for the country’s third nuclear reactor, Angra 3. The contract is worth more than $84-million. Currently, Brazil has two operating nuclear power reactors, Angra 1 and Angra 2. All three reactor sites are in a single nuclear complex on the coast at Angra dos Reis in Rio de Janeiro State, about 100 km south west of Rio de Janeiro city.
May 31, 2022 by

SANEDI celebrates more efficient waste-to-energy system design

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) has, ahead of World Environment Day on June 5, announced the finalisation of a concept design for an efficient and sustainable waste-to-energy technology. SANEDI had commissioned the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) to design and build a more environment-friendly waste gasification and waste-to-energy system, and the result of this long-term project has been a success, the institute says.
May 30, 2022 by

Load shedding to kick in again on Monday night after further breakdowns, says Eskom

Load shedding be implemented at Stage 2 during the peak hours on Monday evening after generation units broke down at Majuba and Medupi power stations.  Spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said three generation units were expected to return to service by Monday evening, which would ramp up through the night. However, load shedding would kick in at 17:00 and remain in place until 22:00.
May 30, 2022 by