Glencore will meet with the South African government this week to seek ways to prevent smelters that make a key stainless steel ingredient from shedding thousands of jobs as they grapple with surging power prices. Japie Fullard, CEO of Glencore Alloys, will meet Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa on Friday in an effort to save its venture with Merafe Resources that processes chrome ore into ferrochrome, the executive said in an interview. A ministry spokesperson confirmed the meeting.
A mega-scale solar and battery storage hub is under construction on a 560 ha site in the grid-ready Free State province – a development that comprises two solar PV farms with a combined capacity of 506 MW and advanced plans for the construction of an associated battery energy storage system (BESS). The NOA Group, which is developing the project to supply private customers, reports that the 157 MW Khauta West solar PV facility achieved financial close this month. This, after the 349 MW Khauta South advanced to financial close in June.
With preparations under way for the launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) in 2026, new research highlights how decisions on the future regulated tariff structure, including the Megaflex bulk user tariff, could affect the market’s objectives of advancing competition and catalysing further investment. Conducted by financial advisory services firm Cresco, the analysis has been prepared in response to both approved changes to Eskom’s retail tariff plan by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in early 2025, as well as possible future changes that could result in shifts in the composition of the tariff in relation to the variable and fixed cost components and time-of-use adjustments based on demand and energy supply changes.
Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the preparations that are under way for the launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market, or SAWEM.
As South African municipalities embrace decentralised energy sources to strengthen grid resilience and cut costs, many are discovering that managing small-scale generators is far more complex than the traditional single-supplier model, says electricity consulting company Utility Consulting Solutions (UTCS). The shift to decentralised generation – in the form of rooftop solar, other alternative small-scale embedded generators and battery storage – is transforming how municipalities secure their energy. Yet the range of sources has created “unprecedented management” demands that existing municipal systems were never designed to handle.
Luminaire manufacturer Beka Schréder has opened its new head office, in Olifantsfontein, Gauteng, with the aim to streamline workflows, reduce production bottlenecks and enable quicker turnaround times for customers. With improved logistics, optimised layout and state-of-the-art manufacturing systems, the company is now able to deliver orders with greater speed and precision, it says.
Renewable energy developer and independent power producer Mulilo Energy has secured an initially R1.1-billion corporate facility from financial services firm Standard Bank to support equity commitments. A further R5.9-billion can also be allocated from headroom as the security pool grows. The Equity HoldCo Facility is designed to further empower Mulilo’s growth trajectory, Standard Bank says.
South Africa’s energy regulator apologised for a R54-billion error in calculating electricity tariffs, a mistake that will be passed on to consumers. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa, which determines what State power utility Eskom can charge for electricity, announced the miscalculation last month, without providing further details.
Amid a global emphasis on a just energy transition to help mitigate the impacts of climate change, issues such as exclusion and inequality should be addressed to ensure the transition is equitable. During the fifth instalment of the Standard Bank Climate Summit, held on September 9, Standard Bank Group CEO Sim Tshabalala argued that, in the context of climate policy, exclusion and inequality slow down the transition in the Global South and create intense and effective resistance to transition in the developed world.
The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has provided a detailed breakdown of the steps being taken in preparation for the launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM) – a key evolutionary step in the development of a fully competitive electricity supply industry in South Africa. The aspirational launch date of April 1, 2026, remains in place, but NTCSA senior manager for market operations Keith Bowen has again underlined that the timeline faces several risks.
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