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Nxesi opposes any plan to privatise Eskom

South Africa’s labour minister said he’ll oppose any move to privatize the beleaguered power utility Eskom Holdings, as it struggles to generate power, avoid outages and repay $23-billion of debt. Privatizing the company would be detrimental to the poor, Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi said in an interview. While President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government has previously denied any plans to sell the company, there have been calls to divest from the asset. S&P Global Ratings said privatization may be the best option to resolve the power crisis in Africa’s most-industrialised nation.
July 11, 2022 by

Eskom confirms big Koeberg leadership changes amid ongoing Unit 2 delays

Amid ongoing delays in returning Koeberg Unit 2 to service, as well as delays to the steam generator replacement (SGR) programme across both Koeberg’s reactors, Eskom has announced the resignation of its chief nuclear officer, Riedewaan Barkadien. COO Jan Oberholzer said on Monday that Barkadien, who has worked at Eskom for 27 years, would depart on July 31 to join a Canadian nuclear utility in an executive position.
July 11, 2022 by

Private sector’s role key in the just transition – BLSA

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has emphasised the important role the private sector has to play in the just energy transition in terms of investment in infrastructure for greener production. “The opportunities are . . . abundant, stemming from the wider renewable energy supply chain, as well as electric vehicles (EVs) and hydrogen. The world’s eyes are on us, with chequebooks on the table.
July 11, 2022 by

Renergen achieves gas-to-plant milestone at Virginia project

Emerging integrated energy producer Renergen has achieved the natural gas to plant milestone at its Virginia project, in South Africa’s Free State province. Gas to plant was achieved on July 8 and signified by the opening of the main inlet line from the gas gathering system to the process plant and then to the natural gas filtration and pre-
July 11, 2022 by

Ramaphosa to announce comprehensive action plan to tackle load-shedding

President Cyril Ramaphosa says that he will, in the coming days, announce a comprehensive set of actions to achieve much faster progress in tackling load-shedding, which has worsened significantly over the past three years and has intensified in recent weeks to the point of being implemented at Stage 6. In his weekly newsletter, the President acknowledged that it was “no time for business as usual”, adding that “we need to act boldly to make load-shedding a thing of the past”.
July 11, 2022 by

More competitive private sector in Namibia can boost growth, jobs – World Bank

Namibia can transform its economy, create jobs, reduce inequality and recover faster from the impact of Covid-19 by deepening private sector reforms and increasing private sector participation in its renewable energy, climate-smart agribusiness, housing, and other key sectors, the ‘Namibia Country Private Sector Diagnostic (CPSD)’ report published by development finance institution the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the World Bank states. The CPSD highlights opportunities for Namibia to attract investment and achieve sustainable private sector-driven growth. It also suggests policy reforms to encourage competition and public-private partnerships (PPPs), especially in the energy and water sectors.
July 8, 2022 by

French-style labour deal poised to fuel South Africa inflation

The South African State-owned power utility’s inflation-beating pay deal struck with protesting workers sets a dangerous precedent for on-going public-sector wage negotiations that may add to price pressures and weigh on state coffers, according to S&P Global Ratings. Eskom Holdings this week signed a one-year deal with three labour groups for a 7% pay hike and an increased monthly housing allowance. While the agreement ended illegal and violent protests that deepened electricity outages in Africa’s most industrialized economy, it will add more than 1 billion rand ($59 million) to the cash-strapped utility’s wage bill for the next 12 months. Eskom, which relies on government support to keep operating, said it will struggle to afford that.
July 8, 2022 by

Dirty coal is keeping South Africa’s inflation in check

South Africa’s reliance on coal to generate most of its power makes it an environmental pariah but it’s also helping keep inflation in check, according to S&P Global Ratings. While energy prices have soared as European nations scramble to find alternatives to Russian gas supplies following its invasion of Ukraine, South Africa’s power utility Eskom Holdings has been left relatively unscathed.
July 8, 2022 by