Energy dept, SAREM committee pledge to accelerate country’s renewable energy plan

The Executive Oversight Committee (EOC) of the South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) and Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré have signed a pledge in which they commit to the swift realisation of the masterplan. SAREM’s overall vision is the “industrialisation of the renewable energy and battery storage value chain to enable inclusive participation in the energy transition, serve the needs of society and contribute to economic revival”.
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Nersa launches market inquiry into impact of fixed charges on electricity customers

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has launched a market inquiry into the impact of fixed charges being levied by Eskom and municipal electricity distributors, which it claims have already resulted in hikes for some customers that are substantially higher than the 12.74% increase approved for 2025/26. A terms of reference document has been published with a deadline for written comments set for October 25, and with public hearings scheduled for November 17.
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European Commission launches €545m Initiative to Accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has announced a €545-million Team Europe package to support Africa’s transition to clean energy. The announcement was made by means of a video message at the Global Citizen Festival in the context of the UN General Assembly and is part of the European Commission’s ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, which is co-hosted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
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Fraught Eskom build programme completed as Kusile Unit 6 enters commercial operation

Unit 6 at Kusile power station has officially entered into commercial operation, which Eskom says marks the end of its multi-decade build programme – one which experienced well-publicised delays, major cost overruns, and technical problems, alongside allegations of serious corruption that featured heavily at the Commission of Inquiry into State Capture. Construction on the Mpumalanga coal-fired power station started in August 2008 and was initially expected to take six years to complete, while the project’s initial budget of about R80-billion subsequently swelled to above R233-billion.
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Loadshedding fell 82% in first half amid demand drop, steady Eskom output

South Africa experienced a sharp reduction in loadshedding during the first half of this year, with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) reporting on September 26 that the amount of electricity shed fell by 82% compared with the same period in 2024. According to the council’s latest power generation statistics, covering the period from January 1 to June 30, a total of 749 GWh was shed from the grid, down from 4 126 GWh in the first half of last year. The report attributes this improvement to lower electricity demand, new generation capacity and a marginal rise in Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF).
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Govt moves to end load reduction

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses government’s interventions to tackle load reduction, which is highly disruptive to the lives of people living in areas where electrical overloading is common.   
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Clean energy trajectory increasingly influenced by geopolitical fragmentation – bp

Global energy company bp has added to its latest ‘Energy Outlook’ publication a section on important current issues influencing the global energy system, such as geopolitical fragmentation and the greater focus on energy security while decarbonisation remains imperative.

The company has noted changes in some countries’ energy and decarbonisation policies and signs of the global economy becoming more fragmented, which are shifts that will have implications on the energy produced and consumed across the world, says bp chief economist Spencer Dale.

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Wind industry bottlenecked by grid, transmission delays

The most urgent challenge for the wind industry is unlocking grid capacity, but the complete unbundling of State-owned transmission company the National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) from State-owned electricity utility Eskom Holdings, which is equally important, appears to have stalled, says green energy company G7 Renewables. South Africa is aiming to liberalise the electricity market through the implementation of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM), which is intended to launch as soon as April 1, 2026, G7 Renewables CEO Dr Kilian Hagemann explains.
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Wind farm prioritises minimising environmental impact

Mitigating the environmental impacts of construction work requires careful planning and meticulous execution, particularly in areas such as the Karoo – where vegetation can be more sensitive to disruption and take longer to recover, says construction company Concor Construction. The 140 MW Karreebosch Wind Farm, being developed by turnkey renewable energy solution provider Cennergi Holdings and green energy supplier G7 Renewable Energies – located between Matjiesfontein and Sutherland – will supply power to a private offtaker. The project comprises 25 turbines, each 100 m tall with blades over 84 m long.
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Wind energy growth demands complex logistics

With wind energy becoming a key pillar in the transition to renewable energy, Midrand-based crane rental agency Concord Cranes regional director Richard Reid notes that, while wind turbines appear straightforward, the development and operation of a wind farm involves highly complex logistics. In a report by industry organisation the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) it is stated that wind energy is increasingly becoming a leading driver of South Africa’s transition to a future built on renewable energy.
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