Author Archive for: Engineering News

The first phase of Operation Vulindlela, which was set up jointly by the Presidency and the National Treasury to oversee structural economic reforms, unlocked R390-billion worth of investment in the electricity sector. The investment figure is included in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement released on Wednesday by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana, who indicated the second phase would seek to build on previous efforts.

Based on the current policy environment, the global market for clean energy technologies is set to rise from $700-billion in 2023 to more than $2-trillion by 2035, close to the value of the current global crude oil market, a new International Energy Association (IEA) report shows. The latest edition of the IEA’s ‘Energy Technology Perspectives 2024’ (ETP-2024) report, which was published on October 30, states that trade in clean technologies is also expected to rise sharply. Within a decade from now, it will more than triple to reach $570-billion, more than 50% larger than current natural gas global trade figures.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved four new electricity trading licences, the issuance of which had been opposed by Eskom, along with the country’s first-ever private import/export licence. The Energy Regulator, which is Nersa’s highest decision-making body made the approvals during their meeting on October 29, agreeing with the approval recommendation agreed to by the Electricity Subcommittee on October 1.

Power grids vital to expanding access to energy in Africa and transitioning to cleaner sources are poised for a growing wave of funding that governments should prepare for, according to the UK development bank British International Investment. “Transmission in terms of capital needed is the next evolution that is waiting to really take off,” Chris Chijiutomi, BII’s managing director and head of Africa, said in an interview in Cape Town Thursday. That’s because grid upgrades on the continent were typically financed with loans from the World Bank or other agencies, “but as the governments’ fiscal position has got worse” there’s been a realization that there aren’t enough funds, he said.

A new matchmaking platform to directly link providers of grant funding pledged to South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP) with domestic beneficiaries is aiming to ensure the disbursement of at least R600-million in grant funding to 20 projects in 2025 and facilitate disbursements of R1.5-billion to 50 projects in 2026. Grant recipients could include local small firms, trade unions, municipalities, as well as community-based and nongovernmental organisations.