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Eskom is now world’s biggest sulphur dioxide emitter, CREA says

Eskom Holdings, South Africa’s coal-reliant power utility, has become the world’s biggest emitter of sulphur dioxide, a pollutant linked to ailments ranging from asthma to heart attacks, the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air (CREA) said. Eskom produced 1 600 kilotons of the pollutant in 2019, the latest year for which comparable data is available, according to the report released on Tuesday by CREA, an air-pollution research organization. That was more than any company, and the total emission of the power sector of any country with the exception of India.
October 5, 2021 by

China’s CMOC eyes solar and hydro for Congo copper/cobalt expansion

China Molybdenum Co (CMOC) is looking to tap more hydropower projects and potentially use solar energy as it expands its production of copper and cobalt in Democratic Republic of Congo, its vice-chairperson said. Steele Li, who is also chief investment officer at CMOC , said the company was committed to hydropower through the supply arrangement it inherited when it bought a majority stake in the giant Tenke Fungurume mine in Congo in 2016.
October 5, 2021 by

Full-scale mock-up of and advanced small modular nuclear reactor unveiled in the UK

Two nuclear technology companies, the Anglo-Dutch U-Battery and the UK’s Cavendish Nuclear, have unveiled a full-scale mock-up of U-Battery’s advanced modular reactor (AMR) design. The mock-up includes the reactor vessel, the intermediate heat exchanger vessel, and the connecting duct (which is U-shaped). The creation of the mock-up was made possible by funding from the UK’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, provided under its Advanced Manufacturing and Materials …
October 4, 2021 by

COP26 must unlock climate support from developed to developing countries – Creecy

South Africa’s Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says the COP26 climate talks scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, in November need to prioritise the securing of finance, technology and capacity building support from developed to developing countries. Addressing a virtual event on Monday, Creecy reiterated that Africa – which had contributed only one percent of global emissions historically and was already being unfairly burdened by the effects of climate change – required such support if it was to turn its climate change liability into a new opportunity for green growth and job creation.
October 4, 2021 by

Wind Atlas South Africa project offers freely available wind resource modelling methods, data …

The third phase of the Wind Atlas South Africa (Wasa 3) project has developed free-to-use wind resource estimation methods, data and tools that private and public organisations can use to inform decisions and policies. These can also be shared with the rest of Africa and the world to support wind energy use for sustainable development, says United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) South Africa resident representative Dr Ayodele Odusola.
October 4, 2021 by

IEA implores countries to help lower the production cost of hydrogen

The International Energy Agency (IEA) reports in its ‘Global Hydrogen Review 2021’ report, released on October 4, that although investment is increasing in hydrogen projects to support a clean energy transition, further efforts are needed to reduce costs and encourage wider use across sectors.

As such, the agency says governments need to move faster and more decisively on a range of policy measures to enable low-carbon hydrogen to fulfil its potential to help the world reach net-zero emissions, while also supporting energy security.

October 4, 2021 by

Eskom says Nersa’s MYPD5 rejection creates ‘regulatory vacuum’

State-owned utility Eskom says the rejection, by the Energy Regulator, of its latest allowable-revenue application has created a regulatory vacuum for the electricity supply industry. “Eskom is accordingly considering how to proceed, and is taking advice on its position following the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) decision,” the utility said in a statement on Friday.
October 1, 2021 by

US envoy says grants and concessional loans will be needed to support South Africa’s …

US Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Dr Jonathan Pershing has described South Africa’s latest climate pledge as “extraordinary” and says the US and other donor countries will seek to support South Africa’s ambition to transition to a decarbonised economy “by the middle of this century” with concessional finance. Pershing visited South Africa this week as part of a broader delegation of climate envoys from the UK, France, Germany and the European Union during which meetings were held with government Ministers and officials, trade unions, business and civil society.
October 1, 2021 by

UK becomes first country to publish proposals for the regulation of nuclear fusion power

The UK government has released regulatory consultation proposals for the regulation of future nuclear fusion technology and power plant design, development, construction and operation. These were contained in a document called the Fusion Green Paper, which was published on Friday. The public and industry have until December 24 this year to submit their comments, suggestions, concerns and other responses to the proposals. Whereas nuclear fission (used in all existing nuclear power plants) releases energy by splitting atoms, nuclear fusion releases energy by smashing together atoms (specifically, hydrogen atoms). Fusion is the process that fuels the Sun and all other stars. Fusion would not have issues fission has, such as having to store and reprocess spent fuel, or having to deal, after decommissioning, with large and highly radioactive components. The main waste product from fusion would be (non-radioactive) water.
October 1, 2021 by