Hydrogen key part of green economy, but as part of diversified energy ecosystem

While hydrogen is expected to become a key element of the green economy worldwide, owing to the need to significantly reduce greenhouse-gas emissions to limit climate change within a short space of time, it is expected to be part of a diversified energy ecosystem.  There are applications for hydrogen in many sectors, but the sectors that have historically used hydrogen are expected to lead in its adoption, followed by other critical uses, air and gas handling products company Howden Renewable Hydrogen global market director Salah Mahdy said on September 6. 
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Struggles to implement projects holding back South Africa’s green hydrogen plans

Despite South Africa’s significant potential to become a major global player in green hydrogen production, platinum group metals producer Anglo American Platinum CEO Natascha Viljoen has voiced concern over how the country’s significant social and political challenges are undermining the ability to get hydrogen projects off the ground.  “If we consider everything that is required for us to build capital projects, to have access to land, to deliver on these projects, crime and corruption and our ability generate the skills are concerns,” she said during the second yearly Hydrogen Economy Discussion conference, held in Johannesburg on September 6. 
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Gauteng launches renewable energy, climate change school in Sedibeng

The Gauteng Department of Education (GDE) has launched another school of specialisation with a focus on renewable energy and climate change, in Bophelong, Vanderbijlpark. The Dr Molefi Oliphant Maths, Science and Information and Communication Technology School of Specialisation will be the twentieth school of specialisation launched by the department.
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The world needs Africa’s green hydrogen to decarbonise, conference delegates told

The world cannot decarbonise without Africa’s production of green hydrogen, hydrogen fuel cell company Hypowa CEO and trade association African Hydrogen Partnership SG and cofounder Siegfried Huegemann has said. “It is just not possible,” he said during the second yearly Hydrogen Economy Discussion conference, in Johannesburg, on September 6.
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Stage 2 load-shedding all week until Saturday

Stage 2 load-shedding will be rolled out from 16:00 until 22:00 on Tuesday night and will continue daily from 05:00 until 22:00 until Saturday, Eskom said in a statement on Tuesday.  The power utility has been hit by breakdowns as well as delays returning units to service. Units at Arnot, Duvha, Kendal, Medupi and Tutuka have all broken down, and there have been delays in repairs at Hendrina. On Saturday, a unit at Koeberg tripped and it has not yet been returned to service. 
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TNPA secures board approval for big expansions at Durban, Richards Bay ports

The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) board has approved plans that open the way for various expansions at the Durban and Richards Bay ports, including a new berth for handling liquified natural gas (LNG) at the Port of Richards Bay. TNPA, which has been established as an independent subsidiary of Transnet, says the expansions form part of the R100-billion KwaZulu-Natal Logistics Hub Programme.
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European bank to greatly increase its funding for climate change adaptation in Africa

The European Investment Bank (EIB), which is the long-term financing agency of the European Union, will triple its worldwide climate adaptation funding by 2025, and Africa will be one of the regions that will benefit. This was announced on Monday at the Africa Adaptation Summit, held in Rotterdam in the Netherlands. The summit was organised by the Global Centre on Adaptation (GCA) and was attended by leading figures in governments, businesses and the United Nations.  “Climate change could wipe out 15% of Africa’s gross domestic product by 2030, which would mean an additional 100-million people in extreme poverty by the end of the decade,” said EIB president Werner Hoyer in his speech at the summit. “A scenario that is particularly unfair towards a continent that has contributed only marginally to climate change.” 
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Scatec to co-develop 350 MW hydropower plant with Malawi, EDF and IFC

The government of Malawi, development finance institution the International Finance Corporation (IFC), renewable energy solutions company Scatec and integrated energy company EDF have signed a binding commercial agreement to co-develop the 350 MW Mpatamanga hydropower project on the Shire river.  The agreement was signed under Malawi’s Public-Private Partnership framework and concludes the selection process undertaken by the government of Malawi to competitively select a private sector partner to finance, build and operate the Mpatamanga hydropower plant. 
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Government concerned about GDP data after outages

South Africa’s government is concerned about the impact that power outages had on the economy in the second quarter, as the nation’s statistics agency prepares to release data for the three-month period. “I am worried about tomorrow’s stats,” Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele told reporters Monday at the start of a cabinet strategic-planning meeting in Pretoria, the capital. “There has been huge load-shedding and we don’t know how it has impacted the economy,” he said, using the local term for scheduled blackouts.
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Eskom seeks automation solution for generation unit’s warehouses

State-owned electricity utility Eskom has issued a tender seeking service providers for the automation of spares- and warehouse-management processes across its generation division, which has been prone to incidents of theft. Eskom issued a request for proposals for a Barcoding and Radio Frequency Identification, or RFID, solution within Eskom’s Generation warehouses with a closing date of September 19.
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