Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) director-general Jacob Mbele has confirmed that the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP 2019) will continue to be implemented while it is reviewed, consulted, and updated – a process that is set to continue well into 2023. Speaking during a dialogue on the energy transition hosted by the Presidential Climate Commission, Mbele argued that the IRP 2019, which is widely accepted to include assumptions that are out of date, was “not irrelevant” and that its implementation would thus proceed.
The Climate Justice Coalition – a coalition of South African trade unions and grassroots, community-based and nonprofit organisations – will march to the office of the Presidency on Nelson Mandela Day (July 18) to hand over a petition demanding the energy crisis be dealt with.
The petition calls on President Cyril Ramaphosa to implement an emergency renewable energy plan to end load-shedding, to replace Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe and otherwise fix the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE).
A new study by analyst S&P Global has found that meeting the net zero emissions target by 2050 could be “short-circuited and remain out of reach” unless significant new copper supply comes online in a timely way.
The study projects global copper demand to nearly double over the next decade, from 25-million metric tons today to about 50-million metric tons by 2035 in order to deploy the technologies critical to achieving net-zero by 2050 goals.
Industrial technical standards and best practices expert and nonprofit organisation CLASP energy efficiency lighting expert Michael Scholand is calling on the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) to promulgate compulsory specification VC9109, which sets out energy efficiency standards for general service lamps (GSL) typically used in households and which would deliver significant electricity and emissions savings, as well as financial benefit to consumers. The compulsory specification was published in the Government Gazette in March 2021 for public comment, but has not been implemented.
South Africa’s indebted power utility may need to borrow an extra R45-billion to purchase diesel and pay inflation-beating salaries to workers, according to S&P Global Ratings. That’s a 50% increase from S&P’s borrowing forecast for Eskom Holdings in November, according to Omega Collocott, director of corporate ratings for South Africa at the company. The utility had a funding plan of R24.4-billion for the year to March, according to a company presentation in November.
Ahead of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s much-anticipated announcement of a comprehensive plan for tackling load-shedding, electricity industry veteran Vally Padayachee has drafted an ‘A-to-Z’ guideline for addressing the crisis over the coming two years. Padayachee, who has 40 years of energy experience and is currently strategic adviser to the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities, has drafted the proposed interventions in his personal capacity.
The Mpumalanga province is considering steps to diversify its economy away from its reliance on coal mining and coal-fired power generation and to promote the green economy, particularly in relation to climate-resilient agriculture, Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane said on July 13. During a trade and investment roundtable discussion with business owners from the US, she said the province was repositioning itself as a “strategic province to implement a successful transition” from coal-fired power to renewable energy.
The UK High Commission (embassy) in Pretoria reported on Wednesday that that country’s Minister (equivalent to Deputy Minister in South Africa) for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Vicky Ford, had visited South Africa on Monday and Tuesday. The visit had focused on the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), women’s economic empowerment, and trade, as well as other areas of mutual interest. The JETP was unveiled at the COP26 United Nations climate conference in November last year. Under it, the UK, France, Germany, the US and the European Union have committed to provide an initial $8.5-billion to fund a just transition of South Africa’s energy matrix from its current reliance on ‘dirty’ energy to green energy in the future. The actual transition plan will, however, be South African-led.
State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the arrest of two former employees of former contractor ABB Group (ABB), as well as their spouses, for alleged corruption linked to Eskom contracts worth R2.2-billion. The four were arrested on July 12 by the Investigating Directorate of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in a joint operation with the Hawks and the South African Revenue Service, for alleged corruption related to Eskom contracts awarded to ABB in 2015.
Some of the preferred bidders that participated in the Small Renewable Independent Power Producer Programme (Smalls), which has subsequently been terminated, are considering legal action against Eskom and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) to have the projects reinstated or to be reimbursed for costs incurred. The 100 MW programme was launched in 2013 for projects between 1 MW and 5 MW in size and was open to bidders employing onshore wind, solar photovoltaic, biomass, biogas or landfill technologies.
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