Vodacom installs new solar-powered sites to reduce carbon emissions

Information and communication technology giant Vodacom has invested more than R8-million to install new solar-powered sites in Polokwane, Vereeniging and Bloemfontein as the company continues to secure alternative energy sources to power its operations where feasible. The three new solar-powered sites will generate about 127 MWh a year of energy, helping to reduce Vodacom’s carbon emissions and lower its electricity consumption, as well as ease the load on the sites’ batteries in the event of load-shedding, ensuring network reliability, quality and seamless connectivity for customers.
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Africa set to become global climate migration ‘hotspot’

A new World Bank report warns that sub-Saharan African could make up 86-million of the world’s 216-million climate migrants by 2050, while North Africa could have the largest share of internal climate migrants relative to total population. Titled ‘Groundswell’, the report updates and expands on modelling contained in a 2018 report by the same name.
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Eskom returns two units to service at Kendal

State-owned power utility Eskom has advised that Units 2 and 3 of the Kendal power station, in Mpumalanga, will be returned to service early this week, following a fire over the weekend.

The two units were shut down after damage was incurred to Unit 1’s generator transformer.

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Bids sought for socioeconomic study into Eskom’s coal repowering and repurposing plan

A global coalition set up to support countries in implementing the carbon-reduction pledges contained in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) has announced that it will fund a study to assess the socioeconomic impacts of the shutdown, repowering and repurposing of seven Eskom coal-fired power stations. Following a request for assistance from South Africa’s Department of Fisheries, Forestry and the Environment, the NDC Partnership has launched a request for proposal (RFP) for the study, which it says will offer “support for South Africa’s just energy transition”.
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Zimbabwe utility to cut power by 12 hours a day amid shortage

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution said Sunday it has begun daily 12-hour power cuts due limited generation at its thermal plant and repairs on the dam at Kariba Hydro Power Station. The company “is experiencing a power shortfall due to generation constraints at Hwange Power Station, limited imports and a program of dam wall rehabilitation at Kariba,” ZETDC said in an emailed statement.
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Green Connection calls for scrapping of the RMIPPPP

Nonprofit organisation Green Connection believes the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) has failed in its objective to get power onto the grid. Green Connection strategic lead Liziwe McDaid says the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy ought to scrap the programme.
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Opinion: African power project boon?

In this opinion piece, law firm Bowmans head of banking and finance Shamilah Grimwood-Norley, writes about the power supply challenges in Africa and how governments are increasingly looking to private sector investment to improve electricity supply.
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Municipality in support of niche and light industry

According to Knysna Planning and Development MMC Mncedisi Skosana, the local leadership has been investigating ways of diversifying the area’s economic drivers and contributors.
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DNG welcomes postponement of hearing into Karpowership’s RMIPPPP award

Gas-to-power solutions provider DNG Energy has welcomed the decision of the Hight Court in Pretoria to grant its request for the postponement of an application to have the selection of Karpowership South Africa as a preferred bidder in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) set aside. DNG embarked on legal action in April, alleging corruption in the bidding process. Karpowership and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy have denied the allegations.
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Policy improvements needed to scale up global wind energy installations – GWEC

While offshore wind capacity grew steadily in 2020, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) advises that governments will need to act decisively to improve policy in order to scale up installations at the pace required to help the world meet its carbon emissions targets and avoid the worst effects of global warming. According to the GWEC’s flagship ‘Global Offshore Wind Report 2021’, launched on September 9, the global offshore wind industry installed 6.1 GW of capacity in 2020, down slightly from a record 6.24 GW installed in 2019.
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