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SAPVIA welcomes Italian investment in local solar PV inverter manufacturing capacity

Industry association the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has welcomed the investment decision by Italian-based firm Enertronica Santerno to expand its manufacturing activities in South Africa.  The Italian firm, which has been an active player in South Africa over the past  ten years, will be investing up to R17-million to enhance its capacity to manufacture inverters for solar photovoltaic (PV) applications, including storage solutions, with a maximum initial production capacity of more than 500 MW a year, gradually ramping up to higher capacity targets.
June 25, 2021 by

Dept refuses enviro authorisations for Karpowership SA projects

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s decision to refuse to provider Karpowership SA environmental authorisations for its proposed powership projects; Karpowership’s response; and what this means for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
June 25, 2021 by

SANEDI study looks into residential power use inefficiencies

The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) has published a study on residential energy use, which suggests that, by improving energy efficiency in this sector, it can reduce evening peak demand.

During peak periods, the residential sector accounts for up to 35% of national electricity demand in South Africa, while, globally, the residential sector consumes one-fifth of the world’s energy.

June 24, 2021 by

South Africa ‘well suited’ to be a green maritime fuel hub

A study by global environmental consultancy Ricardo and Environmental Defense Fund for the P4G Getting to Zero Coalition Partnership has found that South Africa “holds an untapped opportunity” to supply the global shipping industry with zero-carbon fuels. The production of green hydrogen-derived fuels can help to meet decarbonisation targets and act as a catalyst for the country’s economy, thereby opening new export markets and supporting an equitable transition, while also creating the jobs of the future.
June 24, 2021 by

Karpowership SA to appeal after DFFE refuses environmental authorisation on three projects

The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) has refused to provide Karpowership SA with environmental authorisation for its three powership-based gas-to-power projects, proposed for development at the ports of Richards Bay, Ngqura and Saldanha Bay. The environmental impact assessment (EIA) applications were submitted in October 2020 ahead of the closing date for bidding under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s Risk Mitigation Independent Power Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
June 24, 2021 by