The Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) is forecasting that South Africa will add 5.4 GW of new wind capacity over the coming five years to the end of 2026, even though procurement delays will lead to lower levels of deployment in 2022 when compared with 2021. GWEC’s ‘Global Wind Report 2022’ notes that South Africa remains the largest wind market in sub-Saharan Africa, with about 3.1 GW of capacity already connected to the grid.
The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and its sector stakeholders have reiterated that the industrialisation of the renewable energy sector holds enormous potential across the value chain, including economic power and societal benefits. The association, in a media release issued on April 4, stressed the importance of managing the industrialisation of the renewables sector responsibly, by ensuring components were localised on the basis of their competitiveness and value-add.
In an interview with the London Daily Telegraph newspaper, UK Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Secretary (Cabinet Minister) Kwasi Kwarteng has confirmed that the country would launch a major new nuclear energy thrust in the near future. Although the details would only be revealed with the release of the country’s new Energy Security Strategy (expected on Thursday), he did outline some of its aspects. “There is a realisation across Government that we could do more on nuclear,” he told the newspaper’s Sunday political editor Edward Malnick. “With energy, you’re thinking maybe 30, even 40 years [ahead]. If we fast forward to 2050, there is a world where we have six or seven [nuclear power plant] sites in the UK. That isn’t going to happen in the next two years, but it’s definitely something that we can aspire to.”
Power utility Eskom has identified a pipeline of about 15 projects in support of it’s just energy transition (JET) strategy, but substantial financing of about R180-billion to R199-billion will be needed for the projects to be implemented, Eskom JET GM Mandy Rambharos has said. Speaking at the Fossil Fuel Foundation (FFF) Carbon’s Coal Conference 2022 held in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, on April 1, she said these projects included the Komati Gas, Sere photovoltaic (PV) and Olyvenhoutsdrift PV projects.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Thursday that an international team of experts it had sent to South Africa had completed its long term operation (LTO) safety review of the Koeberg nuclear power plant (NPP), near Cape Town. Koeberg is owned and operated by national electricity utility Eskom. The Koeberg NPP had two reactors, the first of which (Unit 1) started commercial operation in 1984, followed by the second (Unit 2) in 1985. Eskom wanted to extend their operational life by another 20 years, to 2045, to give a total operational lifetime of 60 years for both units.
The City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s) power infrastructure is being pilfered on an industrial scale by armed criminal syndicates, which is threatening the city’s ability to provide reliable electricity to residents, CoJ Environment and Infrastructure Services MMC Michael Sun says. He points out that 1 456 cases of vandalism and cable theft had been reported to City Power between July 2021 and the end of March 2022. These incidents have resulted in R24-million in damages and repairs owing to copper cable theft and damage to essential electricity infrastructure during the 2021/22 financial year.
In this extract from an article to be published in a forthcoming edition of the Oxford Review of Economic Policy, Mariana Mazzucato, Antonio Andreoni, Kenneth Creamer and Grové Steyn argue that a mission-oriented approach to South Africa’s energy transition has the potential to drive cross-sectoral transformation of the economy. The authors argued that, by integrating the expansion in renewable energy generation capacity with active industrial policy measures, significant potential exists for accelerating growth, investment, and employment opportunities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Thursday that Russian troops had formally, and in writing, transferred control of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant (NPP) back to the Ukrainian personnel who run the facility. This information had been conveyed to the IAEA by Ukraine. Moreover, two columns of Russian troops had left the NPP, which in 1986 had been the site of the world’s worst nuclear disaster (at that time, it was known by its Russian name, Chernobyl). Russian forces had occupied the NPP on February 24, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some Russian troops remained at the NPP, which has not operated since 1986, but they were expected to leave soon. Further, a column of Russian troops had also left the nearby town of Slavutych, where many of the Chornobyl NPP staff lived. All three Russian columns headed towards Belarus.
The recent resignation of National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) CEO Dr Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka has stimulated reaction from a number of South African civil society organisations. Dr Tyobeka’s resignation was announced by the NNR Board on March 18. The reason given for his resignation was, in the words of the Board’s statement, “to pursue his profession elsewhere”. Tyobeka had headed the NNR since September 2013, or for about eight-and-a-half years. “The Board would like to take this opportunity to appreciate the commitment and invaluable contribution made by Dr Tyobeka during his tenure, and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours,” it said. Both the Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (OUTA), the South African Faith Communities’ Environment Institute (SAFCEI) and the Federation for a Sustainable Environment on Thursday expressed concern on Dr Tyobeka’s departure. They also called for greater transparency from the NNR.
State-owned power utility Eskom said its efforts to root out corruption and fraud gained a significant boost when the Palm Ridge Commercial Crimes Court this week sentenced a former Eskom employee and a supplier to an effective 20 years’ imprisonment after being found guilty on 53 counts of fraud and theft that cost Eskom R35-million. Former Eskom financial controller Mosai Barnard Moraka and Eskom service provider Victor Vilosi Tshabalala stole the money through a corrupt scam between January 2016 and September 2018 by creating fictitious invoices and payment for services not rendered by Meagra Transportation, a company owned by Tshabalala.
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