Labelling of 1 000 profitable cleantech solutions includes eight local products

The Solar Impulse Foundation has officially reached the goal of assigning the Efficient Solutions Label to 1 000 profitable cleantech solutions from around the world and the list includes eight South African solutions, reports economically viable green economy solutions nonprofit organisation GreenCape. The Solar Impulse 1 000 Efficient Solution Label is designed to showcase existing solutions that are both clean and profitable and have a positive impact on quality of life.
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South Africa stands to benefit from green hydrogen production – CDH

The advantages of green hydrogen technology to meet South Africa’s goals of transitioning to a lower carbon energy sector appear “uncontested”, says law firm Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH). To qualify as a form of clean energy technology (one that does not contribute to greenhouse-gas emissions and climate change), the electricity used in the electrolysis process of making hydrogen must be derived from renewable energy technology – thereby creating so-called “green hydrogen”.
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Sasol and Air Liquide initiate first phase of 900 MW renewables procurement process

Sasol and Air Liquide have formally announced plans to jointly procure 900 MW of renewable-energy capacity from independent power producers (IPPs) by 2030 and have issued a request for proposal (RFP) through which they aim to procure an initial 600 MW this year. The transaction, the companies said in a statement, represented the largest renewable-energy procurement deal from the private sector in South Africa and the renewable electricity generated by the IPPs would supply Sasol’s operations in Secunda, Mpumalanga.
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Kibo advances Benga power project with Mozambique energy utility

Africa-focused Kibo Energy and its local joint venture (JV) partners have agreed on the next steps towards the ultimate finalisation of a power purchase agreement (PPA) at the company’s Benga power plant project (BPPP), in Mozambique, following a discussion with Mozambique energy utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM). During the meeting, the final optimised definitive feasibility study, inclusive of the updated grid integration study, and a summary of an updated draft financial model was presented and discussed as the fundamentals that will guide and focus the further course of the PPA process.
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EWT, Eskom use drones to deploy bird flight diverters

A drone-operated system that can deploy bird flight diverters, or so-called “flappers”, has been designed and developed in a partnership between the Endangered Wildlife Trust’s (EWT’s) wildlife and energy programme and Eskom.

The diverters serve as markers that will improve the visibility of power line cables to birds in flight.

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Wärtsilä converting 90 MW fuel oil power plant to LNG in Senegal

Energy and marine equipment manufacturer Wärtsilä will convert the 90 MW Bel-Air heavy fuel oil power plant in Dakar, Senegal, to operate on liquefied natural gas (LNG). The project is part of an interim LNG-to-power bridge solution, and is the first power plant gas conversion in Senegal, the company said on April 12.
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Egypt, Sudan reject Ethiopian proposal for data sharing on Renaissance dam

Egypt and Sudan on Saturday rejected an Ethiopian proposal to share data on the operations of its giant hydropower dam on the Blue Nile after negotiations between the three countries in Kinshasa this week ended without progress. Ethiopia is pinning its hopes of economic development and power generation on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, which Egypt fears will imperil its supply from the Nile. Sudan is also concerned about the impact on its own water flows.
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Moshesh achieves first close on renewable energy, clean infrastructure fund

Asset management company Moshesh Partners has reached a first close for its first renewable energy and clean infrastructure fund, and is targeting R2-billion in assets under management in the next 18 months, said Moshesh Partners co-founding member and CEO Sifiso Shongwe on April 9. This goal was in addition to the more than 2 000 MW pipeline of solar, wind and storage projects it has already secured.
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Bank of America triples environmental funding goal to $1tr by 2030

Financial institution Bank of America on April 8 announced its goal of deploying and mobilising $1-trillion by 2030 in its Environmental Business Initiative to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon, sustainable economy. This commitment will anchor a broader $1.5-trillion sustainable finance goal by both environmental transition and social inclusive development purposes, spanning business activities across the globe, said Bank of America vice-chairperson Anne Finucane.
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Global net zero ambitions

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the global push for net zero, what this means for the future energy system and whether South Africa is on the same net zero pathway as other countries.
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