Eskom mulls alternatives to R300bn emissions-compliance spend

Coal-heavy electricity utility Eskom has reiterated its commitment to complying with South Africa’s tightening minimum emission standards, but CEO Andre de Ruyter has also indicated that it is considering capital-light alternatives, as well as noncoal repowering solutions to meet its obligations, which could otherwise involve investments of some R300-billion. In November, the Department of Environment, Forestry & Fisheries (DEFF) confirmed that the National Prosecuting Authority would proceed with the criminal prosecution of Eskom for violations of air pollution laws at its Kendal power station.
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Sudan formally requests four-party mediation over Ethiopian dam

Sudan’s prime minister has written to the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union and the US to formally request their mediation on the Nile water being used to fill Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), the Sudanese foreign ministry said on Monday. Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok expressed concern over Ethiopia’s stated intention of adding more water to the reservoir behind the hydropower dam for a second year in letters sent on Saturday, the statement added.
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What countries will fight over when green energy dominates

The Rand Corporation’s been designing war games with the Pentagon since the 1950s, modelling such hard-nosed security scenarios as a two-front US war with China and Russia. Now the think tank is turning its realpolitik tool kit to a question more often associated with environmental dreamers: How will clean energy change the world? Rand is among the small but growing number of research organizations, universities and at least one European government that have started gaming out the gritty geopolitical implications of a globe dominated by green energy. It’s the latest sign that the once quaint idea of renewable energy displacing fossil fuels has gone mainstream.
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SE4ALL launches campaign to help drive reliable energy supply

International organisation Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) has launched a new year-long campaign called “Be Bold” to drive ambitious action towards Sustainable Development Goal number seven (SDG7), which calls for affordable and reliable energy for all by 2030.

The campaign follows the realisation that affordable and clean energy for all can help alleviate the global crises of extreme poverty and climate change.

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SMEs in renewable sector receives leg-up from TDB

The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) on March 15 launched an off-grid facility for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

The $75-million facility is aimed at facilitating access to debt financing for SMEs, primarily targeting renewable energy businesses in the off-grid energy sector, as well as SMEs in the broader infrastructure value chain operating in the region served by TDB.

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The world’s three biggest coal users get ready to burn even more

The world’s three biggest consumers of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel, are getting ready to boost usage so much that it’ll almost be as if the pandemic-induced drop in emissions never happened. US power plants are going to consume 16% more coal this year than in 2020, and then another 3% in 2022, the Energy Information Administration said last week. China and India, which together account for almost two-thirds of demand, have no plans to cut back in the near term.
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Rolls-Royce-led consortium joins European nuclear industry group

The UK Small Modular Reactor (UKSMR) consortium, which is led by industrial technology group Rolls-Royce, has joined European nuclear industry association Foratom. This is part of UKSMR’s objective of developing global connections and accessing export markets. UKSMR is designing an SMR nuclear power plant that would be constructed from standardised components manufactured in factories, using advanced manufacturing processes. This approach would drive down costs and rapidly speed up construction times, as the SMR and its associated plant would be delivered to the construction site in modular and component form and there assembled under a weatherproof canopy.
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Maintenance progress alone insufficient to eliminate load-shedding risk amid 4 GW deficit

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter insisted on Monday that, despite a recent return to load-shedding, progress was being made on the utility’s so-called reliability maintenance programme to improve the performance of the coal fleet to the point where the risk of rotational power cuts would be materially reduced by September. He stressed, however, that the load-shedding threat would not be entirely eliminated until the prevailing generation supply shortfall of some 4 000 MW was addressed through large-scale new investments in generation capacity – a shortfall that would expand should the South Africa economy begin growing again.
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30 MW solar plant to be commissioned in Burkina Faso

A new 30 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant is due for construction near the town of Pâ, in Burkina Faso and will supply all the electricity it produces to Burkina Faso’s national power utility – La Société National D’électricité Du Burkina Faso (Sonabel).

Urbasolar was selected as the developer and operator following a competitive tender process run by Sonabel, with construction of the plant scheduled to be completed within 18 months.
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Opinion: Is load-shedding here to stay?

In this opinion piece, South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) GM Barry Bredenkamp writes about steps electricity users can take to reduce demand as load-shedding continues. Since Eskom cannot meet the country’s demand for electricity, load-shedding is likely to be with us for the rest of the year, at least. However, there are steps every electricity user can and should take to decrease demand for electricity and thereby reduce the risk of load shedding.
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