An Africa edition of the ‘2022 Climate Survey’ conducted by the European Investment Bank (EIB) has found that 88% of African respondents believe climate change is already affecting their everyday life, while 61% believe that climate change and environmental damage have affected their income or source of livelihood. The effects to income and livelihoods are typically a result of severe drought, rising sea levels or coastal erosion, or extreme weather events such as floods or hurricanes.
Zimbabwe has proposed incentives to accelerate 1 000 MW of privately owned solar energy projects worth about $1-billion, Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube announced on Monday, as the country scrambles to plug an electricity deficit that threatens to compound its economic woes. The southern African country is currently generating about a third of its 2 000 MW peak power demand and experiencing up to 18 hours of power outages daily after its main Kariba hydropower plant cut electricity generation due to low water levels. The country’s ageing coal plants are prone to frequent breakdowns, impacting mines, industry and households.
City Power has managed to slash its power outage calls backlog to 2 000 from 5 000. Most of the calls are due to the heavy flooding on 5 and 6 December.
Cyril Ramaphosa fended off an impeachment inquiry and internal dissent in South Africa’s governing African National Congress to win re-election as its leader. Rebuilding support for the party ahead of a national vote scheduled for 2024 and tackling the nation’s multitude of socio-economic ills is likely to be even more arduous. The ANC is “increasingly becoming unpopular” and Ramaphosa’s most difficult tasks will be to re-inspire confidence in himself and the party, and to win support for measures needed to turn the country around, said Thabi Leoka, a Johannesburg-based economist.
The deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) at four Eskom power stations has been welcomed by the chairperson of Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy, Sahlulele Luzipo. News24 reported late on Saturday that a minimum of 10 soldiers would be deployed at each of the following power stations: Majuba, Camden, Grootvlei, and Tutuka.
Aluminium makers are set to boost low-carbon metal output by 10% in 2023 and churn out even more in the years ahead, driving down the cost for carmakers seeking climate-friendly supplies and shrinking the industry’s hefty carbon footprint. Aluminium is the most energy-intensive metal to produce, accounting for about 1.1 billion tonnes of global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per year. Next year’s forecast increase in “green aluminium” output would reduce that by 13-million tonnes, or about 1.2%.
A steady roll-out of renewable energy projects has seen Hyundai Automotive South Africa (HASA) run its head office and several of its Gauteng dealerships on solar power when loadshedding kicks in. At the Bedfordview head office, more than 240 solar panels have been fitted on the roof of the building, delivering 110 kW on a typical sunny spring day.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded with an “emphatic no” to a question as to whether government considered outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to be a traitor, as implied in a recent statement by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who said “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”. Gordhan was speaking during a briefing convened by Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana after De Ruyter’s resignation – submitted at 7:30 on Monday December 12, only days after Mantashe’s comments – was confirmed by Eskom on December 14, following a media leak.
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded with an “emphatic no” to a question as to whether government considered outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to be a traitor, as implied in a recent statement by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who said “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”. Gordhan was speaking during a briefing convened by Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana after De Ruyter’s resignation – submitted at 7:30 on Monday December 12, only days after Mantashe’s comments – was confirmed by Eskom on December 14, following a media leak.
The Presidency and the National Treasury on December 14 released a progress report on the implementation of economic reforms during the third quarter to mark two years since the establishment of Operation Vulindlela. Among the highlights were that six projects, totalling 784 MW, signed project agreements under Bid Window (BW) 5 of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP).
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Two more battery projects achieve financial close, next set of bidders to be announced within weeksNovember 19, 2024 - 10:05 am
- Zambia, Zimbabwe face wake-up call after Kariba dam water levels plunge, Minister saysNovember 19, 2024 - 10:05 am
- Eskom once again urges prepaid metered customers to recode their meters before Nov 24November 19, 2024 - 10:05 am
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