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Construction on Inga 3 hydropower project could start by year end, ambassador says

Democratic Republic of Congo’s ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Jean Le’on Ngandu Ilunga has hinted that construction on the Inga 3 hydro-power project could start by the end of the year. “We believe in the coming month we will see concrete steps towards implementation. Towards the end of this year, some concrete steps will be seen on the ground,” he said in response to a question by News24 during an online seminar organised by the Institute for Security Studies.
February 17, 2021 by

R10bn Eskom-Nersa settlement opens way for double-digit hike on April 1

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) and Eskom have reached an agreement to add R10-billion to Eskom’s allowable revenue in 2021/22, to be recovered through the tariff, pending the outcome of an appeal of a 2020 High Court ruling directing the regulator to immediately add back R23-billion of a larger R69-billion equity injection illegally deducted from the utility’s allowable revenue. The settlement was confirmed in a February 15 court order made by Justice Joseph Raulinga, who, on January 29, heard Eskom’s application to have the High Court order executed pending Nersa’s appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
February 16, 2021 by

Eskom could launch bidding for repurposing and repowering of Komati within two months

State-owned power utility Eskom is preparing a pioneering request for proposals (RFP) for the repowering and repurposing of the Komati power station, in Mpumalanga, which is among the first four coal plants scheduled for decommissioning in the coming few years. Eskom just energy transition office head Mandy Rambharos reported on Tuesday that the RFP could be released within the coming two months, once all outstanding governance matters had been settled both internally as well as with government.
February 16, 2021 by

Upheaval is coming to South Africa over the shift away from coal

A photograph in the entrance hall at Komati Power Station shows the plant in better times, its nine generating units belching steam and smoke into the night sky. Those days are never coming back: Komati’s sole remaining working unit is facing closure within two years under plans by state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC to shut about a quarter of its coal-fired capacity by 2030. Next door at the Goedehoop mine, arrays of solar panels line the main access road, a sign of what may be to come for South Africa’s coal belt.
February 16, 2021 by

Lifting distributed-generation cap ‘one of the easier decisions’ facing government – De …

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has described the plan, announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation (SONA) address, to lift the licence-exemption threshold for distributed-generation plants as “one of the easier decisions” government could make in the near-term to alleviate stress on the utility, which is having to resort to regular load-shedding to mitigate supply shortfalls. Asked during a virtual event hosted by the Free Market Foundation if there were any immediate changes that government could make to help address the crisis, De Ruyter argued that lifting the licence exemption to well above the current 1-MW threshold “could assist us in unlocking additional capacity quickly by leveraging private capital – that is probably one of the easier decisions, hopefully, that government can take”.
February 15, 2021 by

Eskom, regulator says cracks in Koeberg containment structures not serious

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has assured the public that the Koeberg nuclear power station, in Cape Town, is not discharging harmful radiation into the environment.

The NNR was responding to media coverage suggesting that the outer shell of the containment building at the power station were damaged and were not effectively protecting the environment from radiation.

February 15, 2021 by

Afsia publishes inaugural solar outlook report

Industry body the Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) has published its first yearly ‘Africa Solar Outlook’ report, which provides clear and concise information about the solar dynamics in each country in Africa to help solar professionals make decisions, says Afsia CEO John van Zuylen. The report reviews the key drivers for successful solar developments in each country and provides snapshots of their statuses and latest developments.
February 15, 2021 by

Ramaphosa’s SoNA holds bold promises, but lacks finer details, says BLSA

In his February 13 State of the Nation Address (SoNA), President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted factors that will serve to lift the economy, tackle Covid-19 and boost ailing electricity infrastructure, says Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso.

Of particular interest, she says, was the four priorities of defeating Covid-19, driving an economic recovery, making reforms to improve inclusive growth and a rapid expansion of energy generating capacity were “spot on”.


February 15, 2021 by

Smoothing the path for distributed generation investment

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about President Cyril Ramaphosa’s announcement in his State of the Nation Address that the regulatory framework governing distributed-generation power projects will be amended and how this will help South Africa at a time when it is still facing electricity supply constraints and load-shedding.
February 12, 2021 by