Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the background to South Africa’s economic reforms; the focus on electricity sector reforms, in particular; and a new initiative to provide an independent view of reforms progress or otherwise.
South Africa can unlock an additional 53 GW of electricity generation capacity by constructing 14 000 km of transmission infrastructure – a critical step in enabling the electricity sector to transition to more sustainable energy generation.
To remain at the forefront of driving South Africa’s strategic energy objectives, the National Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Research Development and Innovation Strategy, known as Hydrogen South Africa, or HySA, continues to advance green hydrogen technologies for a sustainable future, says HySA Infrastructure Centre of Competence (CoC) director Professor Dmitri Bessarabov. HySA has made considerable progress along several technical frontiers, including high-power-density electrolysis systems, the adaptation of hydrogen refuelling protocols for local conditions and advanced hydrogen safety systems.
Nigeria has approved a phased plan to refinance 4-trillion naira ($2.61-billion) in electricity sector debt to help stabilise the nation’s ailing power industry and improve supply, its finance minister said. The debt, primarily owed to 27 power generation companies for outstanding invoices between 2015 and 2023, has stifled investment in the industry and exacerbated chronic power outages in Africa’s most populous nation.
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa insists that the reforms under way in the electricity sector are “irreversible”, and has again confirmed that he has asked the Eskom board not to proceed with its legal case against the regulator’s decision to license five additional electricity traders in 2024. Having called a media briefing to provide an update on the performance of the grid amid concerns that Eskom was again relying too heavily on its expensive diesel generators, Ramokgopa fielded a series of questions about the status of the reform process and Eskom’s move to have the High Court review and set aside five domestic trading licences.
Two Chinese engineering companies, East China Engineering Science and Technology (ECEC) and Sinopec Ningbo, have made the final round of bidding for a basic engineering contract to build the $1.7-billion, or R31.5-billion, Hiryo coal-to-fertiliser industrial complex in Kriel, Mpumalanga, for blue ammonia and sustainable chemicals producer SUISO. The final decision is expected to be made this month by multilateral financial institution the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), which was appointed by SUISO as the project’s sole lead arranger, financial adviser and debt syndicator.
The State-owned South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) Group welcomes the upholding of the decision to grant State-owned Eskom environmental authorisation to build a 4 000 MW nuclear power station in Duynefontein, in the Western Cape. The 2017 decision to grant environmental authorisation was confirmed by Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) Minister Dr Dion George last week following an appeal against the original decision, Necsa says.
Nonprofit the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) says it held a “constructive” meeting with Eskom Distribution management on August 8 regarding compliance and registration requirements for low-voltage solar PV systems and battery energy storage systems (BESSs) installed in homes and businesses throughout South Africa. Outa informs that the meeting revealed that Eskom Distribution is still busy addressing a number of matters that will impact the conditions and needs pertaining to the utility’s compliance and registration requirements for low-voltage small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) systems connected behind-the-meter on a customer’s premises.
Electricity and Energy Miniter Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has urged Eskom to stay or withdraw its court action to have the National Energy Regulator of South Afirca’s (Nersa’s) licensing of five electricity traders in 2024 reviewed and set aside, highlighting an accelerated process by the regulator to finalise the trading rules. In a statement that makes reference joint statement by Business Unity South Africa and Business Leadership South Africa that slammed Eskom’s legal challenge and urged government, Ramokgopa stressed Eskom’s longstanding concerns regarding the absence of a clear, rules-based framework to manage the transition to a competitive electricity market.
Scientists have developed lightning-produced ammonia in gas form – a new, more efficient method that is a step closer to the sustainable production of ammonia and, therefore, a transition to a hydrogen-based economy, says the University of Sydney school of engineering and biomedical engineering and Net Zero Institute’s Professor PJ Cullen. University of Sydney researchers have harnessed human-made lightning to develop a more efficient method of generating ammonia – one of the world’s most important chemicals. Ammonia is also the main ingredient of fertilisers that account for almost half of all global food production.
INDUSTRY NEWS
WHERE TO FIND US
Address
9 Yellow Street
Botshabelo Industrial Area
Botshabelo, Free State
Call / Email Us
Tel: +27 (0) 61 956 6772
Email: info@transfix.co.za
