Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni RE project progressing, welcomed

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in August visited Seriti Green’s flagship Ummbila Emoyeni renewable-energy project in Mpumalanga, welcoming progress being made and highlighting it as an exemplar for the country’s just energy transition.
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Western Cape developing energy sustainability through renewables ahead of schedule

Western Cape Premier Alan Winde highlighted on Wednesday that South Africa still faces an energy crisis. Although loadshedding (scheduled rotating power cuts) has stopped, the country is still dependent on an ageing fleet of coal-fired power stations, he pointed out, while delivering the opening address for the Solar & Storage Live Cape Town 2025 conference and exhibition, being held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. “My theme is – never, ever, waste a crisis!” he asserted, citing the example of Cape Town’s Day Zero water crisis, when, during the 2017-18 drought, the city came within 14 days, he reported, of completely running out of water. It didn’t, because Cape Townians changed their behaviour. Before the crisis, the city, then with a population of 4-million people, had used 1.2-billion litres of water a day (l/d). Today, with a population for 5-million (25% larger), the city used 800-million l/d of water.
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Record global renewable energy growth remains short of climate target, report says

A record amount of renewable energy capacity was added globally last year, but that still left countries short of targets towards meeting a UN climate goal to triple capacity by 2030, a report by global renewable groups showed on Tuesday. More than 100 countries at the COP28 climate summit in Dubai in 2023 agreed to triple renewable energy capacity by 2030 as part of efforts to meet global climate targets.
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SANEA to host energy leadership symposium in November

The South African National Energy Association (SANEA) will host the 2025 edition of its SANEA Leadership Symposium in Johannesburg on November 12 and 13. The premier energy-sector event will bring together representatives from across the energy community, including government, business, finance, operators, researchers, and young professionals under the theme of ‘What will our energy legacy be?’.
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Court order confirming R54bn Nersa-Eskom settlement delayed following AfriForum intervention

The court order confirming the controversial R54-billion settlement between Eskom and the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has been delayed after the High Court granted AfriForum’s request to intervene as a respondent in the matter. On August 27, Nersa announced that a settlement had been reached after agreeing that it had made calculation errors when adjudicating Eskom’s most recent allowable revenue application; one that gave rise to its approval of tariff increases of 12.74%, 5.36% and 6.19% for Eskom’s 2026, 2027 and 2028 financial years respectively.
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R5.2bn Red Rocket solar park first and only project to emerge from Eskom’s land lease scheme

South African independent power producer (IPP) Red Rocket has reached financial close on a 300 MW solar PV project, which will be built at a cost of about R5.2-billion on land leased to it by Eskom. The Tournee Solar Park is in close proximity to the Tutuka coal-fired power station, in Mpumalanga, and construction is expected to take 24 months to complete, with commercial operation anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2027.
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SPS launches buyout model for existing solar and battery systems

Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) has introduced a buyout model that can convert existing solar and battery systems into immediate capital for South African businesses. SPS is a pan-African funder, developer and operator of solar PV and battery storage plants in the commercial and industrial market.
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Construction starts on next phase of giant wind farm rising in South Africa’s coal heartland

The third 155-MW phase of Seriti Green’s giant Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Farm, which is visibly changing the electricity landscape in South Africa’s coal heartland of Mpumalanga, has entered into construction after advancing to financial close. Seriti Green is majority owned by Seriti Resources, a black-owned coal mining company, with large operations in the province that supply coal to Eskom’s Kriel, Tutuka, Lethabo, Kendal and Duvha power stations, as well as some export markets.
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Westbrooke acquires solar portfolio across 91 Shell Downstream South Africa service stations

Westbrooke Renewable Energy Alternatives (Westbrooke Real), an alternative investment strategy managed by Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management, has acquired a portfolio of operational solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) assets located at 91 Shell Downstream South Africa- (SDSA-) owned service stations across South Africa. The portfolio was bought alongside one of Westbrooke Real’s partners, CVE South Africa, an experienced independent power producer. The assets were acquired from Thebe Solar Energy, which exited its position as part of a strategic realignment.
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BLSA welcomes Eskom’s return to profitability, but notes persisting challenges

State-owned Eskom’s return to profitability for the first time in eight years, with a profit before tax of R23.9-billion for the 2025 financial year, offers some welcome positive news for the power utility and the broader economy, business organisation Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busi Mavuso highlights in her latest weekly newsletter. The significant reduction in loadshedding this year has improved electricity supply reliability and boosted Eskom’s revenue owing to lower spending on diesel-based open-cycle gas turbines, she points out, adding that the utility’s turnaround was supported by over 350 private sector experts mobilised by the National Electricity Crisis Committee.
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