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US to help fund study for deployment of small modular nuclear reactors in Romania

The administration of US President Joe Biden is to provide 50% of the funding for a Front-End Engineering and Design (FEED) study for the deployment of a small modular nuclear reactor (SMR), designed by US company NuScale, in Romania. The US contribution will be disbursed through the US Trade and Development Agency, the amount involved being $14-million. The other $14-million needed to fund the FEED will be provided by NuScale and by its Romanian partner company, Nuclearelectrica. The two companies plan to erect a NuScale VOYGR-6 SMR nuclear power plant (NPP) on the site of a former thermal power plant at Doicești in Romania. The FEED study will include various engineering and design studies and activities. It will also include additional technical analyses of the site at Doicești.
June 28, 2022 by

Eskom warns of high risk of Stage 6 load-shedding on Tuesday night amid ongoing strike

Power utility Eskom has warned that it may have to implement Stage 6 load-shedding from this evening, following a deterioration in its generation capacity overnight. COO Jan Oberholzer noted in a media briefing on Tuesday morning that there is a significant risk that the utility may have to implement Stage 6 load-shedding, although Eskom would do what it could to avoid that.
June 28, 2022 by

Power trip: While Stage 4 drags on some unions want Pravin, but Eskom heads to CCMA

While Eskom has put its plans in motion to end protests that have disrupted its operations and break the deadlock at its wage talks, unions in the negotiations are split on whether the impasse may need an intervention from Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. Historically, an intervention from Gordhan worked in unions’ favour. Following Gordhan’s intervention into the three-year deal Eskom inked with labour in 2018, the utility went from offering a 0% increase to granting 7.5% increase in year one and 7% in the subsequent two years.
June 28, 2022 by

G7 edges closer to ditching pledge to end fossil-fuel financing

The Group of Seven (G7) is moving toward reversing a commitment to halt the financing of overseas fossil-fuel projects by year’s end, a proposal now viewed favorably by most members, according to people familiar with the matter. G7 leaders meeting in the Bavarian Alps are converging on a reference to the increased role of gas projects, a consequence of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine straining their energy supply.
June 28, 2022 by

Energy Catalyst Africa launches in South Africa to support energy technology development

Energy technology innovation and funding network Innovate UK has launched the Energy Catalyst Africa programme in South Africa to support the development of energy technologies by providing early- to late-stage development and commercialisation funding. The UK government-led programme is aimed at accelerating innovation needed to end energy poverty, and provides financial and advisory support to help bring to market technologies and business models that can improve lives in Africa and Asia, Innovate UK impact and performance manager Amy Flynn said on June 27.
June 27, 2022 by

Numsa claims Eskom provoked the ‘rage’ that led to protests and more load-shedding

The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) laid the blame at Eskom’s feet for the protests at power stations that ultimately plunged South Africa into Stage 4 load-shedding late last week. Speaking to Fin24 on Monday, Numsa spokesperson Phakamile Hlubi-Majola denied any involvement by the union in planning the protests but said they were a direct outcome of what she called Eskom management’s unwillingness to negotiate with organised labour in good faith.
June 27, 2022 by

Eskom says most workers at power plants, still sporadic protests

South Africa’s power utility said most of its workforce is in place, despite some ongoing demonstrations that started last week after a breakdown in wage negotiations, though generation capacity has yet to improve. “The greater majority of employees are reporting for duty,” Eskom Holdings’ media desk said in an emailed reply to questions. There were still some “sporadic protests” and demonstrations on Monday and there’s more generation capacity unavailable then there was in previous days.
June 27, 2022 by

UK to guarantee $2bn of AfDB debt to boost climate fight

The UK has agreed to guarantee $2-billion of the debt the African Development Bank has extended to governments on the continent, allowing the lender to free up finance for climate-related projects. The additional lending capacity will be used to fund projects for climate resilience and renewable energy, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire-based bank, said in interview last week.
June 27, 2022 by