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South Africa’s GHG emissions increased by 10.4% between 2000 and 2017

South Africa’s seventh ‘National Greenhouse-Gas (GHG) Inventory’ report for 2000 to 2017, released on August 24, shows that emissions have increased by 10.4% over the 17-year period. The report, published by the  Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE), covers sources of GHG emissions, and removals by sinks, resulting from human or anthropogenic activities. All the major GHGs, namely carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, perfluorocarbons, and hydrofluorocarbons, are included.
August 25, 2021 by

Mogajane warns of Budget cuts as expenditure pressures mount to some R105bn

National Treasury director-general Dondo Mogajane is warning that major Budget cuts will be required to offset a range of expenditure pressures that had arisen as a result of recent government decisions, including the 2021/22 wage settlement, which would increase the public sector compensation bill by a further R20-billion. Speaking during a virtual briefing of Parliament’s Standing Committee on Appropriations, Mogajane said that the 1.5% wage settlement would cost R20-billion more than the compensation ceiling outlined in the February Budget.
August 25, 2021 by

DMRE outlines timetable for electricity procurement programmes

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has provided an updated timetable for the implementation of its long-term electricity procurement programmes, which are being pursued in line with a Section 34 Ministerial determination, published in September 2020, and catering for the procurement of more than 11 800 MW of new generation and energy storage capacity. Following a seven-year interruption, the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) resumed in April with the release of a request for proposals (RFP) for bid window five (BW5), through which government is seeking to procure 2 600 MW of new solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind capacity.
August 24, 2021 by

Zimbabwe private power industry held up by currency dispute

Zimbabwe’s State electricity company is awaiting the outcome of international arbitration in a currency dispute with the country’s biggest private power producer that’s holding up other investments. Nyangani Renewable Energy, which operates solar and hydropower plants in Zimbabwe and Malawi, took the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Distribution Co. to the Johannesburg branch of the International Chamber of Commerce to rule on the disagreement over a currency conversion agreement.
August 24, 2021 by

SANEDI develops new strategic plan to address modern energy issues

Various challenges in the South African energy sector must be addressed for wider socioeconomic advancement – for which the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) has developed a new strategic plan, positioning it to address key energy sector issues. SANEDI interim CEO Lethabo Manamela explains that since SANEDI was established as an agency of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy in 2011, it has been directing applied energy research and implementing energy efficiency measures in the country, working with local and international partners.
August 23, 2021 by

South Africa aims to bring pilot carbon capture project online in 2023

South Africa has started geological mapping at the country’s first carbon capture and storage (CCS) site, where it plans to inject vast quantities of carbon dioxide (CO2) deep underground from 2023, a senior Council for Geoscience official said. The project will be based around the town of Leandra, Mpumalanga province, in South Africa’s north east, a carbon emissions hotspot and home to several coal-fired power stations as well as Sasol’s Secunda coal-to-liquids fuel plant, the world’s largest.
August 23, 2021 by

Outa notes with concern Nersa subcommittee’s recommendation to approve 2 500 MW of new …

The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) reports with “extreme concern” that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) electricity subcommittee has conditionally indicated approval, on August 20, of the government’s proposal that South Africa should build another 2 500 MW of nuclear power generation capacity.

Outa points out that the Nersa subcommittee’s decision is only a recommendation to the Nersa board, which will then take the final decision.

August 20, 2021 by

Ability to sell electricity to multiple customers made explicit in updated 100-MW reform amendment

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has gazetted an updated version of the amendment to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act that he first gazetted on August 12. The update, which is dated August 19, makes it clear that electricity sales from sub-100 MW projects, which are exempted from licensing with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), can be to “one or more customers”.
August 20, 2021 by