Entries by

Hino to double solar energy output at its Durban plant

Hino South Africa (SA) will this year double the energy output from the solar roof panel project at its truck assembly plant in Durban, says VP Anton Falck.  “Currently the roof panels provide 600 kWp. A further 800 kWp will be added by the middle of the year as a further 6 600 m2 of roofing is covered with solar panels. 
February 13, 2024 by

IRP deadline extension an opportunity for more renewables ambition in line with SoNA vision – SAWEA

The recent extension of the deadline for responses to the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) presents an opportunity to incorporate the vision presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) for more renewable energy, the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) asserts. Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe announced a month-long extension to the public comment period to March 23 in a recent speech to the Mining Indaba but without committing to public hearings.
February 12, 2024 by

Households can now apply to sell their excess solar power to the City of Cape Town 

The City of Cape Town is now enabling households to earn cash for the power generated from their solar photovoltaic generation systems.  Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis says a first round of applications will close on March 8 for households to earn cash from selling their excess solar power to the city, beyond the existing automatic crediting of municipal bills. 
February 12, 2024 by

Not practical to implement new ‘black box’ tariff rules from 2025, Eskom insists

Eskom says the Electricity Pricing Determination Rules (EPDR) approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in December cannot be implemented for the 2025/26 financial year as proposed by the regulator, owing to the time it takes to prepare, adjudicate and approve such applications. In addition, the utility has questioned whether the rules are implementable at all given how far they deviate from established standards used globally for determining electricity tariffs. Following a period of public consultation, Nersa approved the EPDR late last year. These tariffs are applicable for all licensees providing electricity to customers.
February 12, 2024 by

Ramokgopa denies President’s pre-State 6 SoNA assertions caused embarrassment and insists …

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has move to defend the statement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday night that “the end of loadshedding is finally within reach”. This, despite South Africa rapidly descending into Stage 6 loadshedding only hours after the conclusion of the speech and the prospect of ongoing high levels of power disruptions until at least Wednesday. Speaking as a hastily convened briefing – moved to Sunday instead of the Monday morning initially scheduled for the Minister’s regular update on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan – Ramokgopa refused to accept that the President’s statement had caused any embarrassment.
February 11, 2024 by

Business stakeholders left wanting following ‘election-oriented’ SoNA

Business stakeholders agree that President Cyril Ramphosa was right to emphasise economic reforms in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on February 8, as these are critical to turning around the country’s dire economic performance and unemployment. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), for one, appreciates the President acknowledging the private sector’s role in supporting the National Electricity Crisis Committee and the National Logistics Crisis Committee; however, the organisation says it wanted clear indications of how blockages would be overcome to improve confidence that reform momentum will be maintained.
February 9, 2024 by

Ramaphosa moots ‘innovative investment models’ for grid as he reiterates support for power …

President Cyril Ramaphosa used his final State of the Nation Address ahead of upcoming elections to reiterate government’s commitment to reforms in the country’s failing power and logistics sectors, including one that would open the electricity transmission sector to private investors. Speaking against the backdrop of almost daily power disruptions, South Africa’s worst-ever year for loadshedding in 2023, and a precipitous collapse in the freight rail service, which was constraining key commodity exports, Ramaphosa described the power and logistics crises as the “most important constraints on economic growth”.
February 8, 2024 by

AMSA sees plausible pathway for salvaging longs unit, but ready to reverse closure deferral if …

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has deferred the wind-down of its long-products business by six months amid widespread concern regarding the detrimental impact of the closure on downstream industry and jobs and following consultations with government and other affected stakeholders during which several short-term interventions were agreed. The deferral announcement was made despite AMSA reporting a R1.89-billion loss for 2023, which represented a dramatic R4.5-billion negative swing from earnings of R2.6-billion in 2022.
February 8, 2024 by