In continuing efforts to digitize its customers, energy management and automation specialist Schneider Electric’s connected products can communicate well with each other on its digital platforms, as well as those of third parties, says Schneider Electric global marketing director Quintin McCutcheon. He speaks to Creamer Media at Electra Mining.
South African state power utility Eskom said it was extending rotational power cuts until Monday due to plant breakdowns causing a persistent shortage of generation capacity. Eskom said it would implement “Stage 4” power cuts until 05:00 local time (0300 GMT) on Sunday, and thereafter “Stage 3” until 05:00 on Monday.
State-owned power utility Eskom is developing a crowdsourcing digital platform to allow it to supplement its existing skills base to help address its operational challenges. It has invited organisations and individuals, including experienced engineers and technical experts, to participate. The platform will act as a skills database for Eskom to acquire additional expertise and to resolve its urgent business needs.
A proposal by wealthy nations to mobilise $8.5-billion for South Africa to help reduce its dependence on coal has proved more complex than anticipated, which has stalled its implementation. The money was offered to South Africa at United Nations climate talks in Glasgow last year under a deal that was seen as a possible blueprint for helping other coal-reliant developing countries transition to using cleaner energy. Details of the types of financing that will be made available and the terms and conditions attached to it are still being hashed out, along with South Africa’s investment plans, said Barbara Creecy, the nation’s environment minister.
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe says the government is looking at reopening bid window 5 of the renewable energy independent power producer programme (REIPPP) in light that most projects have failed to reach financial close. Bid window 5 is a critical part of the plan to end SA’s power shortage. The bidding closed in 2021, and it aimed to add 2 583 MW to the grid within the next two years. But, global events – such as the war in Ukraine and increased demand for renewable energy and storage components – have radically altered the input costs on which the bidders based their prices.
South Africa’s government is bracing for more frequent and longer electricity outages as the state-owned power utility’s aged and poorly maintained plants continue to deteriorate. The nation has been subjected to rolling blackouts, known locally as loadshedding, since 2008, with 4 000 MW of capacity currently being cut from the grid to ensure it doesn’t collapse. The ongoing energy shortages were a major contributor to the economy’s 0.7% contraction in the second quarter.
After updating some key cost assumptions, Eskom has confirmed that it will be applying for a 32% tariff hike for implementation on April 1, 2023. The State-owned utility is also applying for a 9.74% increase for its subsequent financial year. The increases are outlined in an addendum to Eskom’s fifth multiyear price determination (MYPD5) application, which contains changes to various key assumptions, including those relating to the cost and use of diesel for its open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs), as well as independent power producer (IPP) costs.
Developing nations expect rich countries to commit more funding to adapt to global warming and a financing mechanism to help them cope with natural disasters when they meet at the COP27 climate summit in November, South African Environment Minister Barbara Creecy said. Creecy was one of the prominent African voices before the COP26 event in Glasgow last year. She’s demanded affluent nations that have emitted the bulk of the world’s climate-warming gases commit more assistance to those most affected by the impact of rising temperatures.
Eskom will be implemented at Stage 4 throughout Thursday and Friday, with only a possibility of lower stages from Saturday morning, Eskom said on Wednesday. “Eskom teams are working around the clock to return units to service, but in view of the shortage of generation capacity and the need to carry out unplanned maintenance to return units to service, we unfortunately have to implement load shedding as a last resort,” Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said in a statement.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has confirmed that Eskom has not applied for a Ministerial determination for a 3 000 MW combined cycle gas power plant at Richards Bay in terms of the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP2019), but is instead seeking permission to deviate from the IRP2019. On September 12, Nersa circulated an erratum to a consultation paper published for public comment on August 25 in relation to it providing concurrence to a Ministerial determination for the procurement of 3 000 MW of gas-fired electricity.
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