City Power agrees to implement load-shedding after talks with Eskom

Electricity utilities Eskom and City Power have agreed on efforts to protect the national grid, while also reducing the impact of load-shedding on Johannesburg residents and businesses.

At the weekend, City Power had initially said it would not implement load-shedding, as it had secured additional power supply from private generator, the Kelvin power station.

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Eskom to jointly develop solar projects with Exxaro, Seriti

Coal miners Exxaro and Seriti Resources are joining forces with State-owned power utility Eskom to jointly develop renewable energy projects.

The landmark memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between the parties on October 25 spells out the companies’ development plan to lower their carbon footprints.

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Schneider Electric adds to its EcoStruxure Power offering

Over a billion people on the African continent either have no access or only limited access to energy, while South Africa faces electricity supply constraints. Energy management and automation company Schneider Electric, says it has always been in the business of developing energy efficient products.
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Mantashe appoints highly experienced Mokoena as Nersa chair

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has appointed the highly experience Smunda Mokoena as chairperson of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa). The appointment became effective on October 20 and Mokoena’s term is expected to continue until September 13, 2024.
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Just Energy Transition to result in 300 000 new energy jobs over ten years – De Ruyter

Ongoing analysis and work done by various groups into the so-called Just Energy Transition (JET) points to the potential creation of 300 000 direct, indirect and induced jobs in South Africa’s electricity sector over the next decade, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter said on October 22.

He added that this figure was over and above accounting for job losses in the coal sector as a result of the looming shuttering of some coal-fired power generation units.

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South Africa to set up finance workstream to assess climate-finance offers

The South African government is set to establish a high-level technical workstream, which will work under the direction of a Cabinet subcommittee, to evaluate possible concessional finance offers that could be made in support of the country’s just energy transition strategy. The workstream is yet to be formally assembled, but Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says it will include finance specialists from the National Treasury, the Department of Public Enterprises, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Eskom and possibly others.
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Castle Lite beer to be made using renewable electricity

South African Breweries (SAB) will soon produce its Castle Lite beer using renewable electricity, which will reduce the electricity drawn from the grid and reduce interruptions to production. Further, SAB is committed to fully switching to renewable energy sources by 2025.
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Caterpillar, Tractafric complete 7.5 MW battery storage solution for grid stability at …

Construction and equipment manufacturer Caterpillar and equipment distribution multinational Tractafric have installed 7.5 MW of battery energy storage capacity at gold miner Barrick Gold’s Kibali mine, in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The Tractafric solution is operational and deploys the battery energy storage and Caterpillar bi-directional power inverters (BDP) to provide grid stability. The Caterpillar Master Microgrid Controller seamlessly integrates up to 45 MW of power generated by three hydroelectric power stations and 36 Caterpillar 3512 diesel generator sets.
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Hydrogen Society Roadmap to guide South Africa’s hydrogen rollout – Nzimande

The Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM), which was approved by Cabinet on September 14, provides a “clear indication” of how hydrogen and fuel cell technologies could be a “game changer” for the South African economy, Science and Innovation Minister Blade Nzimande noted during the Hydrogen Economy Indaba – Series 3 event on October 21. He added, however, that, before South African could derive the full benefits of a hydrogen economy, several challenges had to be overcome.
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Countdown to COP26

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the final countdown to COP26, the South African government’s negotiating stance and its plans to canvass a just energy transition financing facility.
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