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Portfolio committee agrees on in-principle terms of reference for RMIPPPP inquiry


The Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy has resolved, in principle, on the terms of reference that will guide an inquiry into allegations of corruption and malfeasance during the process of appointing preferred bidders in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
 
Eleven successful bidders were selected by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to provide 1 995 MW of additional electricity generation capacity through a variety of energy sources.
December 8, 2021 by

Liquidity crunch again held up as key impediment to Eskom’s maintenance roll-out

Eskom COO Jan Oberholzer has once again highlighted the utility’s liquidity crunch as a key constraint to the execution of its much-vaunted reliability maintenance programme, which is seen as key to reversing the poor operational performance of its aged coal fleet. The fleet’s energy availability factor has fallen to 64% year-to-date, resulting in 2021 becoming South Africa’s worst year yet for load-shedding.
December 7, 2021 by

Decarbonisation roadmap highlights economic benefits and international support for South Africa

Europe-Africa energy cooperation foundation Renewable Energy Solutions for Africa’s (Res4Africa’s) ‘Decarbonisation Roadmap for South Africa’ report highlights the economic benefits of modernising and decarbonising the country’s economy and demonstrates the broad international financial and technical support South Africa is receiving for raising and achieving its decarbonisation ambitions. These were some of the sentiments shared during the launch of the decarbonisation roadmap by regulators, researchers, financiers and energy industry representatives on December 7.
December 7, 2021 by

Vedanta to support Zambia on green energy transition goals

Natural resources company Vedanta intends to support the Zambian government in its green energy transition goals, it confirmed on December 7. This decision was bolstered by the steps already taken by the government, including the appointment of the country’s first Green Economy and Environment Minister Collins Nzovu in September and are aligned to the further initiatives that have been presented, it said in a statement.
December 7, 2021 by

Nersa gears up to release consultation paper on Eskom’s latest revenue application

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) will release a consultation paper on December 8 alongside Eskom’s fifth multiyear price determination application (MYPD5), which covers the three financial years from 2022/23 to 2024/25. The paper, which is currently being finalised, will outline why the tariff decision will be confined to the 2022/23 financial year, rather than all three financial years covered in Eskom’s application, which was formally lodged on June 2 and initially rejected by Nersa on September 30.
December 6, 2021 by

Gas-powered electricity generation not South Africa’s best bet for the long term –WWF

The attractiveness of renewable energy, even in the face of using gas as a bridging fuel to take off from where coal is being disused, is continuing to increase, the World Wide Fund for Nature senior climate specialist James Reeler has said.

During a webinar titled ‘Fossil gas: decarbonisation solution, detour or dead end?’, on December 2, he said Bid Window 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme had shown that the price of renewables was lower than what was previously forecast to occur only in 2050.

December 6, 2021 by

Garob Wind Farm successfully commissioned

The Garob Wind Farm, in the Siyathemba municipality of the Northern Cape, has successfully started commercial operations. The 145 MW facility was awarded to Enel Green Power South Africa in April 2015 as part of Bid Window 4 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
December 6, 2021 by

Energy Regulator approves five LNG storage licences for DNG Energy

The Energy Regulator has approved five site licences for the importation and storage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) by black-owned energy company DNG Energy. The Energy Regulator approved the site licences, along with the licence conditions and reasons for decision, at its meeting on December 6, following a recommendation by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) Petroleum Pipelines Subcommittee.
December 6, 2021 by

National Treasury aware of Eskom’s PFMA concerns but denies long delays in responding

The National Treasury says it is aware of Eskom’s concerns regarding the application of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA) at the power utility and reports that there are ongoing engagements in an effort to address these concerns. The matter, it adds, is still being deliberated on and some of the concerns will be addressed through a legislative review, which is currently under way.
December 6, 2021 by