Author Archive for: Engineering News

Anthem CEO James Cumming says there is a “high probability” of a battery energy storage system (BESS) being integrated into its massive 475 MWac (620 MWdc) Notsi solar PV project in the Free State, with the site having already been permitted to include BESS. The South African independent power producer started construction on the R9-billion project in March following financial close, which was concluded on the back of 20-year-plus offtake agreements with electricity traders Discovery Green and NOA.

Netherlands-headquartered tank storage and terminal operator Vopak’s local subsidiary, Vopak South Africa, together with Transnet Pipelines, on March 13 signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Richards Bay Industrial Development Zone (RBIDZ), committing to advance gas development in the province.

The MoU comes as Vopak South Africa and Transnet Pipelines finalise commercial agreements and contractor appointments ahead of a final investment decision on the Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) at the Port of Richards Bay, which will mark South Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal.

Power utility Eskom has reached an agreement with the City of Ekurhuleni on a payment plan to settle the outstanding debt owed to the utility by the city. As part of the agreement, the city paid Eskom R1.7-billion of the R3.4-billion owed the utility, with the balance to be paid over 18 months.

A new analysis of the crisis being faced by South Africa’s ferrochrome industry as a result of uncompetitive electricity tariffs, outlines a possible renewables-battery-led scenario for meeting the industry’s need for sustainably cheap and greener electricity without triggering an acceleration of what could otherwise be an Eskom death spiral. Titled ‘To Save or Not to Save SA’s Ferrochrome Smelters and Eskom’, the thought-leadership paper has been written jointly by Johan van den Berg, an energy professional with experience in the ferrochrome industry, Frank Spencer, an energy engineer, and Johan Roos, an Advocate in private practice.

The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on Wednesday vowed to fight planned job cuts at ferrochrome smelter Samancor, which could affect 2 400 employees even after a more than 50% electricity price reduction meant to avert job losses. State-owned power utility Eskom on February 27 announced the price cut for Samancor and Glencore’s joint venture with Merafe Resources after the distressed firms agreed last December to shelve planned job cuts while negotiating with Eskom.