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MTN Business to digitise 257 municipalities through smart electricity and water technology

Telecommunications group MTN Business has been awarded a three-year contract to enhance the digitisation – through the implementation of smart electricity and water technology – across South Africa’s 257 municipalities. The RT29 transversal contract, awarded by National Treasury, will see MTN Business, starting from this month, supply, deliver, install, manage and maintain end-to-end smart metering solutions across the country.
June 13, 2024 by

Diversification of energy generation, consumption important for businesses, Discovery Green says

Businesses are increasingly prioritising the procurement of renewable energy, and especially solar energy, owing to loadshedding, electricity cost increases and risks associated with high carbon footprints, but run the risk of increasing their total energy costs, including from variability challenges. Analysis by renewable energy for business platform Discovery Green shows that the solution to these challenges lies in diversification, both in terms of energy generation and consumption, in line with traditional insurance principles of risk pooling and diversification.
June 12, 2024 by

Benchmarking study highlights slow pace of South Africa’s grid-connection system

A new benchmarking assessment of South Africa’s electricity grid access queueing mechanisms indicates that Eskom’s systems are slower and less transparent than those being implemented in developed and developing countries analysed as part of the study. Published by the RES4Africa Foundation, the report includes case studies of the grid management frameworks being implemented in Brazil, Chile, Italy and by PJM Interconnection in the US.
June 12, 2024 by

Solar installations slow in South Africa after blackouts ease

Repairs to South Africa’s coal-fired stations that have helped the State power utility avoid debilitating blackouts for three months straight is giving solar installers an unintended break. Until March, Eskom had inflicted power cuts for as many as 12 hours a day due to unreliable units prone to breakdowns. The outages have crimped the economy and inconvenienced residents who have burned candles, bought batteries and — for those who can afford it — put up solar panels.
June 12, 2024 by

South Africa urged to integrate successful global grid-battery strategies to support roll-out

South Africa should consider ways to replicate strategies employed in regions such as South Australia and California to facilitate an accelerated uptake of grid batteries, which a new International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) report states can be introduced to support grid stability and bolster the flexibility required to support variable renewables generation. While stressing that solutions are “location specific”, the report, which is the second in a series by IISD, argues that some replicable strategies could include enabling battery operators to benefit from multiple revenue streams and offering specific financing mechanisms for initial projects.
June 12, 2024 by

Africa added 2 GW of hydropower last year, but IHA says 90% of on-river potential untapped

Africa added over 2 GW of hydropower capacity in 2023 but 90% of the continent’s on-river hydropower potential remains untapped, a new report states. Published by the International Hydropower Association (IHA), the ‘2024 World Hydropower Outlook’ reports that Africa added more new capacity in 2023 than any region besides East Asia, where 8 586 MW was added.
June 12, 2024 by

South Africa’s climate focus needs to shift from setting targets to tangible results – Moosa

South Africa is now entering a new and more demanding phase of climate action, Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) deputy chairperson Valli Moosa asserts, stressing that the focus is not only on setting targets but on delivering tangible results. His statement follows the publication of the inaugural ‘South African State of Climate Action Report’, which finds that South Africa commitments to tackling climate change and facilitating a just transition are being hindered by incoherent policies, weak governance structures, and inconsistent actions by government and other stakeholders.
June 11, 2024 by

Eskom arrests suspected coal-swapping thief

State-owned power utility Eskom says the security investigation team at its Arnot power station has arrested a truck driver, who is suspected of having participated in the swapping out of coal destined for the power station with lower-quality product. On June 8, a tactical team spotted a truck loaded with coal to be delivered to Arnot entering a coal yard in Middelburg and then leaving after about an hour.
June 11, 2024 by