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South Africa’s green energy push hinges on R402bn debt fix

The head of South Africa’s State power utility needs to substantially reduce its R402-billion of debt to realise his vision of transforming the coal-addicted behemoth into a leading green-energy producer and create as many as 300 000 jobs in the process. Eskom Holdings supplies more than 90% of the nation’s electricity, the bulk of it from coal, and emits more than two-fifths of the nation’s greenhouse gases. Andre de Ruyter, 53, its chief executive officer, wants to tap concessional loans from development finance institutions to finance renewable plants in exchange for accelerating the closure of some of its old, polluting power stations.
September 14, 2021 by

Vodacom installs new solar-powered sites to reduce carbon emissions

Information and communication technology giant Vodacom has invested more than R8-million to install new solar-powered sites in Polokwane, Vereeniging and Bloemfontein as the company continues to secure alternative energy sources to power its operations where feasible. The three new solar-powered sites will generate about 127 MWh a year of energy, helping to reduce Vodacom’s carbon emissions and lower its electricity consumption, as well as ease the load on the sites’ batteries in the event of load-shedding, ensuring network reliability, quality and seamless connectivity for customers.
September 14, 2021 by

Africa set to become global climate migration ‘hotspot’

A new World Bank report warns that sub-Saharan African could make up 86-million of the world’s 216-million climate migrants by 2050, while North Africa could have the largest share of internal climate migrants relative to total population. Titled ‘Groundswell’, the report updates and expands on modelling contained in a 2018 report by the same name.
September 13, 2021 by

Eskom returns two units to service at Kendal

State-owned power utility Eskom has advised that Units 2 and 3 of the Kendal power station, in Mpumalanga, will be returned to service early this week, following a fire over the weekend.

The two units were shut down after damage was incurred to Unit 1’s generator transformer.

September 13, 2021 by

Bids sought for socioeconomic study into Eskom’s coal repowering and repurposing plan

A global coalition set up to support countries in implementing the carbon-reduction pledges contained in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) has announced that it will fund a study to assess the socioeconomic impacts of the shutdown, repowering and repurposing of seven Eskom coal-fired power stations. Following a request for assistance from South Africa’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment, the NDC Partnership has launched a request for proposal (RFP) for the study, which it says will offer “support for South Africa’s just energy transition”.
September 13, 2021 by

Zimbabwe utility to cut power by 12 hours a day amid shortage

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution said Sunday it has begun daily 12-hour power cuts due limited generation at its thermal plant and repairs on the dam at Kariba Hydro Power Station. The company “is experiencing a power shortfall due to generation constraints at Hwange Power Station, limited imports and a program of dam wall rehabilitation at Kariba,” ZETDC said in an emailed statement.
September 13, 2021 by

Green Connection calls for scrapping of the RMIPPPP

Nonprofit organisation Green Connection believes the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) has failed in its objective to get power onto the grid. Green Connection strategic lead Liziwe McDaid says the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ought to scrap the programme.
September 10, 2021 by

Opinion: African power project boon?

In this opinion piece, law firm Bowmans head of banking and finance Shamilah Grimwood-Norley, writes about the power supply challenges in Africa and how governments are increasingly looking to private sector investment to improve electricity supply.
September 10, 2021 by