Renewable energy multinational Enel Green Power’s (EGP’s) Ngonye solar plant, in the Lusaka South Multi Facility Economic Zone, is using tracking systems that feature solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to track the movement of the sun throughout the day, capturing sunlight and converting the energy into electricity. EGP highlights that this is the only site in sub-Saharan Africa to use tracking technology from Convert Italia, with the choice to use this made when designated land from the solar farm was not large enough to accommodate the planned infrastructure.
WiSolar, a South African startup that sells solar power on a prepaid basis, plans to raise R45-million this quarter in its first funding round as it gears up for growth. The company, founded by Tonye Irims in 2016, plans to expand from offering its product to residential home owners to working with property developers to install decentralised solar-power systems in buildings being constructed. Its current model sees systems installed at properties that are then paid for over as long as 72 months through the prepaid purchase of power.
Corruption Watch has released its latest statement sharing findings of the first report released by the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into State Capture, which identifies the key players who Judge Raymond Zondo believes were embroiled in what he termed a “mastery of undue influence” at State-owned enterprises (SOEs). Corruption Watch this time turned its focus to former Public Enterprises Minister Malusi Gigaba, who is alleged to have interfered in Eskom’s business dealings with Gupta-owned TNA Media, despite many protestations to the contrary, when SOEs were under his watch between 2010 and 2014.
Kenya is experiencing a nationwide power outage after a high voltage transmission line connecting the capital broke, State-controlled utility Kenya Power said on Tuesday. Kenya Power said the blackout occurred after towers supporting a high voltage power line connecting the capital to the Kiambere hydroelectric dam had collapsed.
State-owned power utility Eskom requests that community members play an active role in preventing criminal activities and minimise vandalism of its assets. Eskom continues to experience high incidents of theft and vandalism of its distribution infrastructure around the country. The perpetrators vandalise and steal transformers and copper cables and bypass meter boxes, substations, control rooms and security fences, impacting on the security of supply.
Japanese power generation company JERA and industrial equipment manufacturer Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) will conduct a project to develop and demonstrate technology to increase the ammonia co-firing rate at coal-fired boilers, after their grant application, under the Green Innovation Fund programme of the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organisation, was accepted. This project aims to develop an ammonia single-fuel burner suitable for coal-fired boilers and to demonstrate operation of the burner at actual boilers. The project is expected to continue until 2028.
The European Commission, which is the executive branch of the European Union (EU), has included nuclear energy in its draft ‘Complementary Designated Act’ (CDA) of the EU ‘Taxonomy Regulation’ regarding green energy. The draft CDA, which had previously been leaked to the media, has now been formally released to EU member states for consultation. (The draft CDA also includes natural gas as a green energy source, but only on a transitional basis. This means that natural gas will have to be phased out as more sustainable energy sources become available. The terminal date for the construction of taxonomy-compliant natural gas energy projects is December 31, 2030.)
The Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (Sefa), managed by development finance institution the African Development Bank (AfDB), has approved a $1-million grant to facilitate Botswana’s transition to clean energy. The technical assistance project supports the government of Botswana in closing critical gaps in policy, regulatory and legal frameworks, which were identified at the Africa Energy Market Place and which include the introduction of least-cost planning, reduction of adverse environmental impacts and support for increased private sector participation in renewable energy generation investments.
Mining Weekly Editor Martin Creamer discusses decarbonisation as an opportunity to create quality employment; South Africa’s need to transition to clean energy without creating job losses and ghost towns in areas where fossil fuels provide the overwhelming economic support; and South Africa’s appreciation of platinum fuel cells being recognised increasingly as the world’s only zero-emission answer to climate change.
The government of Ukraine has approved a plan to expand the country’s uranium production. “The main purpose of this concept is to create conditions for increasing uranium production to fully meet the needs of domestic nuclear energy, as well as increase Ukraine’s energy independence,” explained Ukrainian Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko. Currently, nuclear energy provides Ukraine with 54% of its electricity. The country has 15 operational large reactors, all of Russian design. In the past few months, the Ukrainian government has announced a nuclear new build programme, which will be developed in cooperation with the US. This programme will make use of the AP1000 reactor developed by US company Westinghouse, of which at least five are to be built. All will be located at existing nuclear power plant sites, with the first to be constructed at Khmelnitsky.
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