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Standard Bank not expecting major fiscal slippage despite election pressures

Standard Bank chief economist Goolam Ballim does not anticipate “material fiscal slippage” in the 2024 Budget, despite expenditure pressures associated with the upcoming elections, as well as calls for additional support for Transnet, whose underperformance alongside ongoing power cuts and water disruptions continue to throttle growth and investment. Delivering his yearly economic outlook, Ballim acknowledged that there was likely to be some fiscal slippage relative to the forecasts provided by Finance Minster Enoch Godongwana in his Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement.

Zero Carbon Charge signs R1bn deal to bring EV superchargers to South Africa

Renewable energy-powered electric vehicle (EV) charging station company Zero Carbon Charge has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese energy storage systems manufacturer Shanghai Magic Power Tech Co, also known as Magic Power, and its local partner Greencore Energy Solutions, to build and import the first-of-its kind integrated supercharging systems for its 120 renewable charging stations currently being rolled out across South Africa. This will allow customers at Zero Carbon Charge’s off-grid, solar-powered charging stations to charge any EV at its maximum charging rate.

Nersa makes far-reaching changes to tariff rules, but implementation timing uncertain

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved far-reaching changes to the way electricity tariffs will be set in future, but it could still take some time before the rules are fully implemented. Nersa approved the new Electricity Price Determination Rules (EPDR) on December 14, following a consultation phase, which was initiated in 2021 to find an alternative to the current multiyear price determination (MYPD) framework that has been used to set Eskom tariffs since 2006.

Energy Council welcomes IRP extension, calls for strong reform message in SoNA

Energy Council CEO James Mackay has welcomed the decision of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to extend the comment period for the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 by a month and has also called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to use his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) emphasise government’s commitment to “open and robust debate on national energy policy”. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe used his Mining Indaba address on February 6 to announce that the IRP comment period had been extended to March 23 from February 23 to “allow maximum participation in this process”. However, he refrained from initiating public hearings, which some commentators have called for given serious concerns over the assumptions and modelling used to produce the draft document.

Clear commitment to reform implementation needed in SoNA – Mavuso

Business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to show a clear commitment to the hard work of reform implementation during his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday evening. South Africa’s electricity crisis remains a significant constraint, despite some progress having been made, and its logistics system has rapidly become a disaster for the economy, requiring urgent intervention, Mavuso said in her latest weekly newsletter on February 5.

World Bank tours Cape Town’s Steenbras power plant, to augment support

City of Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Energy councillor Beverley van Reenen has hosted a World Bank delegation to the city’s Steenbras hydro pumped storage scheme. The Steenbras plant is used to protect city-supplied customers from up to two stages of loadshedding, where possible, and is also indicated to be pivotal to the city’s plans to protect residents from up to four stages of loadshedding by 2026.

Energy community must scrutinise IRP 2023 – SAWEA

The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is urging the energy community to critically analyse the revised draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) to provide constructive inputs that will improve the country’s energy future. SAWEA says it appreciates the information sessions hosted by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to delve deeper into the plan and its underlying assumptions, which have provided much-needed context and additional information, ensuring a common understanding across various interpretations.