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Electricity sector developments

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the details of the nature and pricing for projects selected as preferred bidders for the emergency bid window; the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s view of the future; and global wind installations having reached a record level in 2020 but still not being sufficient to meet net zero carbon targets.  
March 26, 2021 by

Company plays maintenance role

Engineering solutions specialist BMG plays a critical role in the sugar sector, not only during the operational period of sugar production, but also in off-crop seasons, when maintenance and refurbishment on sugar farms and at mills is essential. BMG works closely with sugar farmers and engineers at mills by providing engineering components and support services, to enhance production efficiencies, minimise downtime and extend equipment service life.
March 26, 2021 by

Global wind installation step change required to meet net-zero goal

Despite Covid-afflicted 2020 emerging as the best-ever year for global wind-energy installations, a new industry report argues that the rate of yearly deployments will have to more than double before the end of the current decade if onshore and offshore wind generators are to make their rightful contribution to restricting the rise in the average global temperature to no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. The Global Wind Energy Council’s (GWEC’s) newly released ‘Global Wind Report 2021’ shows that installations increased by 53% to 93 GW last year when compared with 2019.
March 25, 2021 by

South Africa’s updated climate pledge to be released for comment after Cabinet approves NDC draft

South Africa’s Cabinet has approved the country’s updated draft Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) in response to climate change, which will be released for public consultation next week. The updated NDC outlines South Africa’s target for limiting greenhouse gas emissions as required in line with the country’s status as a signatory to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
March 25, 2021 by

UK Climate Investment Finance delivers 254 MW of renewable projects in South Africa

The UK international climate finance programme, UK Climate Investments, has helped finance three renewable energy projects with a combined capacity of 254 MW in South Africa in South Africa. The inauguration of the 4 MW run-of-river hydropower facility Kruisvallei Hydro, in the Free State, on March 25 followed the successful delivery of the 110 MW Perdekraal East Wind Farm, in the Western Cape, in October 2020 and the 140 MW Kangnas Wind Farm, in the Northern Cape, in November 2020, UK Climate Investments notes in a statement.
March 25, 2021 by

Agriculture seen as key just transition enabler in Mpumalanga, but arable land needs urgent …

Transitioning Mpumalanga’s coal-heavy economy to higher levels of agricultural output could help create new businesses and jobs and improve the long-term economic resilience of the province as mines close and Eskom begins decommissioning power stations in line with the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP 2019). Research conducted by Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) warns, however, that current and future mining activity could sterilise arable land in the province and that action should, thus, be taken to safeguard agricultural land as part of the country’s planning for a just transition from coal to renewables.
March 25, 2021 by

Sudan’s cabinet backs UAE mediation in border, dam disputes with Ethiopia

Sudan’s cabinet has backed an initiative for the United Arab Emirates to mediate in a dispute over Sudan’s border with Ethiopia, and over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Sudanese information minister said on Tuesday. Tensions surrounding the control of farmland in al-Fashqa, on the border, have escalated in recent months, while talks over the operation of the GERD, which will affect water volume downstream on the Nile in Sudan and Egypt, are deadlocked.
March 24, 2021 by

South Africa seeks lesser of two evils with Eskom debt options

South Africa’s National Treasury is considering whether it would be better to move a chunk of Eskom Holdings’ R464-billion of debt into a special-purpose vehicle (SPV) or have the State take over responsibility for it directly, people familiar with the situation said. While banks have led discussions for the last few weeks over the creation of a so-called SPV that would take over at least R100-billion of Eskom’s debt, and possibly much more, that debt would almost certainly have to be guaranteed by the government, the three people said, asking not to be identified because an announcement hasn’t been made.
March 24, 2021 by

Against the odds, solar-plus-storage project emerges with lowest RMIPPPP bid

The fact that a hybrid generation project – combining solar photovoltaic (PV), a battery energy storage system (BESS) and a small portion of gas – emerged with the lowest evaluation price in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) has been described as “remarkable” in light of the scheme’s design. Projects selected for a 20-year power purchase agreement under the RMIPPPP must be able to operate between 5:00 and 21:30, have load-following ability and be connected to the grid before August 2022.
March 23, 2021 by