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De-escalation in loadshedding forecast for coming week as country emerges from renewed Stage 6 …

Eskom is forecasting a de-escalation in the intensity of rotational power cuts for the coming week following the traumatic return of Stage 6 on Friday November 24 and complaints in certain distribution areas, notably Johannesburg, that the duration and frequency of the latest cuts exceeded those experienced during previous Stage 6 episodes. The utility announced that loadshedding would be reduced to Stage 4 from 12:00 on Sunday November 26 until 5:00 on Monday November 27, when Stage 3 cuts would be implemented.
November 26, 2023 by

Black Friday loadshedding triggered by depletion of reserves and heat-wave demand spike

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa attributed the “unwelcome” ramp up in the intensity of loadshedding to Stage 6 to a need for Eskom to rebuild its emergency reserves that had been depleted by the failure of large coal units during the week and a 1 500 MW spike in demand, which was attributed to the heat-wave conditions affecting parts of the country. Eskom implemented Stage 6 loadshedding at midday on November 24, a period that coincided with the yearly Black Friday retail event, during which shoppers flock to malls to take advantage of price specials.
November 24, 2023 by

Karpowership SA secures environmental authorisation for Saldanha Bay project

Karpowership South Africa (SA), the local entity of Turkish company Karpowership, has welcomed the granting of an environmental authorisation (EA) for its Saldanha Bay project by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE). It says this is another step forward for the company to supply power to the South African grid through the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP).
November 24, 2023 by

Renewables bodies await publication of Eskom’s curtailment framework

The associations representing the wind and solar sectors as well as independent power producers (IPPs) more generally are eagerly awaiting a proposed curtailment addendum to Eskom’s Grid Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA), which is published yearly to provide connection visibility for new utility scale generators. The latest GCCA was published at the end of October and states that, while there is still 19.9 GW of capacity available, all capacity has been absorbed in the Eastern, Western and Northern Cape provinces, as well as Eskom’s Hydra Central grid area, which borders the Cape provinces and the Free State.
November 23, 2023 by

Mercedes-Benz SA to invest R100m in second solar phase 

Mercedes-Benz South Africa (MBSA) says it will invest R100-million in Phase 2 of a solar power project at its East London production plant, in the Eastern Cape. An additional 22 847 photovoltaic solar panels will be installed to convert sunlight into electricity, and to contribute to reducing the company’s carbon footprint. 
November 22, 2023 by

SANEDI’s pioneer conference showcases initiatives to tackle energy challenges

Mineral Resources and Energy Deputy Minister Dr Nobuhle Nkabane has emphasised the need to invest in science, technology and innovation to grow South Africa’s economy and to address the country’s well-documented energy challenges. She was speaking on the first day of the South African National Energy Development Institute’s (SANEDI’s) first yearly energy conference, which is being held this week, in Johannesburg.
November 21, 2023 by

Petroleum industry significantly impacted on by loadshedding

The South African Petroleum Industry Association (Sapia) says the ongoing loadshedding crisis has significantly impacted on its members, with widespread power outages affecting various sectors of its business operations, with substantial implications. Among the areas of business most affected by loadshedding, Sapia reports that the purchase and operation of generators at operating facilities such as depots and service stations have contributed significantly.
November 21, 2023 by

Sasol, Air Liquide conclude corporate PPA with Mainstream for 97.5 MW solar project

A 97.5 MW solar photovoltaic project will be constructed in the Free State following the signing of a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) between Mainstream Renewable Power and industrial groups Sasol and Air Liquide. The project forms part of a joint initiative by Sasol and Air Liquide to decarbonise their operations at Sasol’s Secunda complex, in Mpumalanga, through the integration of 600 MW of renewable electricity in the coming years.
November 21, 2023 by

New $1.8bn-plus concessional loan package signed to support JET-IP

South Africa has confirmed the signing of three new policy loan agreements – worth more than $1.8-billion – in support of the country’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), the implementation plan for which was approved by Cabinet last week. The dollar- and euro-denominated loans are described as “concessional’ and have been provided directly to the National Treasury for general budget expenditure purposes by the World Bank, Germany’s Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW), and the African Development Bank (AfDB).
November 21, 2023 by