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Stage 2 load-shedding to hit SA on Thursday amid cold front

Eskom will implement stage 2 load-shedding from 16:00 to 21:00 on Thursday night due to generation issues, combined with the severe cold weather, the power utility announced.  “Unfortunately, a generation unit each at Tutuka and Medupi Power Stations were forced offline this afternoon, increasing the capacity constraints on the power system,” Eskom said. 
July 22, 2021 by

Eskom warns of load-shedding as grid buckles amid high demand, loss of generation units

State-owned power utility Eskom warns that it may “be forced” to implement load-shedding at short notice as a result of increased consumption amid the severely cold weather currently sweeping across parts of South Africa, coupled with the loss of some generation capacity.

Generation breakdowns total 12 984 MW, while planned maintenance leaves a deficit of 2 924 MW.

July 22, 2021 by

PowerGen, partners to connect 55 000 people to electricity in Nigeria

Grid and off-grid distributed energy developer PowerGen is partnering with CrossBoundary Energy Access (CBEA), Oikocredit, Triodos Investment Management, and EDFI ElectriFI to electrify the homes of 55 000 people in rural Nigeria. The project is supported by grant funding from the World Bank and the Nigeria Rural Electrification Agency’s Nigeria Electrification Project, which provides a fixed grant for each customer connected.
July 22, 2021 by

eThekwini issues RFI as it gears up to procure 400 MW of IPP power

The eThekwini municipality, which has been badly affected by recent deadly rioting and looting, is pushing ahead with its electricity procurement plans and has issued a request for information (RFI) as part of preparations for the procurement of 400 MW of new generation capacity from independent power producers (IPPs). The RFI is in line with the city-region’s recently adopted Energy Transition Policy, encompassing the eThekwini Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a phased transition to it sourcing 40% of its electricity from renewable-energy sources by 2030, and increasing that to 100% by 2050.
July 22, 2021 by

LG commits itself to moving entirely to renewable energy by 2050

Electronics manufacturer LG Electronics has announced its commitment to transition completely to renewable energy by 2050.

The announcement, made in LG’s sustainability report, follows an earlier promise to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through its Zero Carbon 2030 initiative, in which the company pledged to reduce carbon emissions in the production stage to 50% of its 2017 baseline.

July 21, 2021 by

Renewable energy associations host capacity-building webinar ahead of fifth Bid Window

As role-players in South Africa’s renewable energy sector gear up to make submissions in Bid Window 5 (BW 5) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) have hosted a capacity-building webinar to get insights from sector heads and thought leaders.

The deadline to submit applications for BW 5 close on August 4.

July 21, 2021 by

100-MW reform set to spur rapid increase in larger-scale solar projects – SAPVIA

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) is optimistic that the decision to increase the licence-exemption threshold for distributed-generation facilities from 1 MW to 100 MW will support a rapid increase in the deployment of larger-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, with some 500 MW of such capacity having been installed last year even ahead of the proposed reform. Spokesperson Maloba Tshehla estimates that about 20% of the new distributed-generation capacity installed last year arose from residential systems, with the commercial and industrial segment having contributed the bulk of the new rooftop capacity introduced.
July 21, 2021 by