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GreenCape selects ten finalists for its GreenPitch challenge

Climate change adaptation and green economy nonprofit GreenCape has selected ten finalists for the 2022 GreenPitch Challenge. The ten green economy innovators will prepare to pitch their innovations to a panel of judges on May 5, at an event hosted by GreenCape in partnership with the City of Cape Town’s Invest Cape Town and The Business Hub.
April 19, 2022 by

Nedbank extends R200m green loan for Vukile solar projects

JSE-listed real estate investment trust Vukile Property Fund has concluded a five-year, R200-million use-of-proceeds green loan with financial services firm Nedbank Corporate and Investment Banking, which will fund 19 solar energy projects and energy-efficiency initiatives across South Africa. The loan will fund seven recently installed solar energy projects of R60-million.
April 19, 2022 by

De Ruyter in ‘call to arms’ appeal for cutting of red tape binds on new and existing capacity

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has appealed for an immediate easing of regulatory impediments to the introduction of both immediately available capacity of about 500 MW and the accelerated procurement, or introduction, of the generation capacity required to ease the now constant risk of load-shedding. De Ruyter made this “call to arms” after the utility declared Stage 4 load-shedding at short notice on Tuesday morning and indicated that the rotational cuts would continue until at least Thursday night, owing to high levels of unplanned breakdowns of more than 15 600 MW.
April 19, 2022 by

RMB CEO calls for localisation rules to be waived to catalyse transition to renewables

Financial services firm RMB CEO James Formby says South Africa urgently needs a “megawatts first” policy and that localisation rules, which make renewable energy more expensive, should be waived. Local material content rules increase the cost of wind and solar energy production. Import tariffs, such as those on imported steel, are also making renewable energy more expensive.
April 19, 2022 by

Load-shedding jumps to Stage 4

Eskom has announced that load-shedding has immediately jumped to Stage 4 on Tuesday morning after more generation units failed.  The power utility said the jump from Stage 2 happened at 7:20 after Majuba Unit 5 and Tutuka Unit 4 tripped. 
April 19, 2022 by

Italian Club chooses Bedfordview specialist to keep lights on

The Italian Club Johannesburg, in Bedfordview, has invested about R1-million in the installation of a fully automated 275 kVA generator from privately-owned generator specialist Elegen to power its facilities during electricity outages and load-shedding.   The club researched several companies before choosing Elegen, which is ideally located in Bedfordview, to supply a backup power solution, as it offered to build a generator to specifically meet the club’s needs. 
April 15, 2022 by

QES mobile generators ordered locally

Air, power and flow solutions provider Atlas Copco Power Technique has received orders this year for its QES mobile, plug-and-play generators from local companies, mostly for standby power purposes or for use at manufacturing plants, says Power Technique business development manager Philip du Plessis. Most of the orders received by Power Technique this year for the QES range are for standby power purposes or for use at manufacturing plants.
April 15, 2022 by

Many manufacturers still without backup power

Many local manufacturers still do not have backup power installed, while others lack adequate power solutions to effectively limit the production losses incurred during power outages or load-shedding, says power rental expert Rand-Air, part of the Atlas Copco group. “A lot of companies do not have the right equipment on site to keep their lights on, with some only powering their offices or the critical part of their manufacturing facility to keep certain materials agitated, for example,” explains Rand-Air inland area manager Henry Fourie.
April 15, 2022 by

Generators still reliable, affordable option

Generators will always be an option as long as standby power is needed in South Africa, says generator importer and distributor Smith Power Equipment national product and sales specialist Michele Cicognani. While companies are becoming more aware of alternative standby power options, owing to the global call to reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change, demand for generators is as high as ever in South Africa, he stresses.
April 15, 2022 by