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Seifsa calls for moratorium on power hikes as Eskom makes case for cost-reflectivity

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) used the platform created by ongoing National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) hearings to call for a moratorium on additional electricity tariff hikes, arguing that further increases would undermine the country’s Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan. The hearings are being held to assess a supplementary application submitted by Eskom in line with a court decision to remit the regulatory clearing account (RCA) decisions for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 financial years back to the regulator for reconsideration.
December 7, 2020 by

Public hearing participant questions Nersa mandate in evolving electricity market

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) was outdated, and regulation changes were needed to bring it in line with current trends, the only respondent to public hearings into gold miner Gold Fields’ application to build a 40 MW solar plant near its mine in Westonaria said on Thursday. Brian Day, of Today Innovation, said at the public hearing that he supported power plant licences, such as the one applied for by Gold Fields. “I fully support the applicant, and anyone else who wants to generate electricity for a private client to be issued with the requisite generation licence by Nersa.”
December 4, 2020 by

New group CEO announced for Necsa

The South African Cabinet announced on Friday that, at its Wednesday virtual meeting, it had ratified the appointment of Loyiso Tyabashe as the new group CEO for the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa).

He holds a MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and started his career as an engineer in the national electricity utility Eskom in 2000.

December 4, 2020 by

Genset range equipped with built-in automatic transfer switch panel

In response to market requirements for a stationary quality genset (generator set), power solutions provider HIMOINSA launched the new HS stationary genset range in October.   HIMOINSA Southern Africa business development director Matthew Bell explains that the design of the range resulted in the removal of unnecessary components for a stationary application.
December 4, 2020 by

Fall in energy efficiency investment threatens climate goals – IEA

Investment in energy efficiency worldwide is on course to fall by 9% in 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts, warning that the Covid-induced slump threatens international climate goals. The agency’s ‘Energy Efficiency 2020’ report estimates that global primary energy intensity will improve by less than 1% this year, its weakest rate in a decade and well below the level of progress needed to meet climate, pollution-reduction and energy-access targets.
December 3, 2020 by

Upscaling of wind technician training needed to support 14.4 GW roll-out

The planned growth of South Africa’s wind-energy sector over the coming decade, and beyond, will require a material upscaling of the country’s training infrastructure to ensure that there are sufficient South African wind technicians trained to support the building and maintenance of an expanding turbine fleet. South African Wind Energy Association CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli indicated on Thursday that more than 1 700 wind turbine service technicians would be required by 2030 to help build the 14.4 GW of new wind capacity outlined for installation by that date, as well as to service a fleet of some 17.7 GW.
December 3, 2020 by

Financing instruments need to be overhauled for a successful just transition

Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) points out that South Africa needs to overhaul its existing financing mechanisms and instruments if communities are to truly benefit from a just energy transition to a green economy.

This emerged as a central theme during a TIPS-hosted development dialogue webinar, which was held to discuss a number of possible options to finance the just transition process in South Africa.

December 3, 2020 by