Tenders awarded to connect Lesedi gas, solar project to Botswana grid

Southern African energy development company Tlou Energy has awarded tenders for the construction of transmission lines and substations to connect the coal-bed methane Lesedi power project to the Botswana national electricity grid at Serowe, the company said on April 14. Botswana electrical engineering company Zismo Engineering was awarded the tender to build the 100 km overhead line, while construction and mining contract multinational Murray & Roberts subsidiary OptiPower will build the substations at Lesedi and Serowe.
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Electricity, water price hikes pose risk to inflation outlook – central bank

Above-inflation increases to South Africa’s electricity and water prices pose a risk to the consumer inflation outlook and could trigger a rise in lending rates, the central bank said on Wednesday. “These risks, should they materialise, could drive headline above the 4.5% target midpoint and possibly dislodge inflation expectations away from the midpoint,” the bank said in its bi-annual Monetary Policy Review.
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Anglo American secures 100% renewables across its South American operations

Diversified miner Anglo American has delivered on its commitment to source 100% renewable energy for all its operations in Brazil, Chile and Peru. The miner previously secured renewable energy to meet all of its power requirements for its iron-ore and nickel operations in Brazil from 2022, as well as for its copper operations in Chile from this year.
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Cabinet expected to approve Hydrogen Society Roadmap by early 2022 at latest

South Africa’s Hydrogen Society Roadmap (HSRM) will be presented for Cabinet approval either before the end of the year or early next year and should outline how the country’s resource advantages should be leveraged to produce green hydrogen, as well as to integrate hydrogen-related technologies, such as fuel cells, into various sectors of the economy. Department of Science and Innovation chief director for hydrogen and energy, Dr Rebecca Masemurule says the HSRM is likely to emphasise the centrality of renewable energy not only in the production of clean electricity, but also to produce competitive green fuels that can be used to decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors, such as land and marine freight logistics, as well as the manufacture of steel, cement and chemicals.
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GE, PowerChina hydro project on Zambia-Zimbabwe border delayed

GE, PowerChina hydro project on Zambia-Zimbabwe border delayed The developers of a $4-billion hydropower plant on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border delayed the project until next year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Seriti rejects calls for probe into South32 deal that will make it Eskom’s largest coal supplier

Under siege Seriti Resources whose impending acquisition of South32 coal mines has raised calls for an investigation has dismissed the complaints against it as “vague” lacking substance. The black-owned coal miner has found itself embroiled in a storm after trade unions  flagged some aspects of the transactions as questionable.
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Sasol takes ambitious steps towards becoming a green-hydrogen major

Energy and Chemicals group Sasol made announcements on Tuesday that potentially open the way for the coal- and gas-heavy company to begin an energy transition designed to reposition it as a green hydrogen major and a leading global producer of carbon-neutral jet fuel. CEO Fleetwood Grobler announced that Sasol had decided to explore the creation, in partnership, of a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production demonstration facility, based on green hydrogen, at its Secunda operations, in Mpumalanga.
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Astral obtains High Court order for govt to improve Lekwa municipal service delivery

Poultry producer Astral Foods has obtained a High Court order against government and the National Treasury over the nondelivery of basic water and electricity supply services within the Lekwa (Standerton) municipality. In terms of the Order issued on April 12, government will be required to intervene in the Lekwa municipality and, together with Treasury, wprepare a financial recovery plan, as contemplated in the Municipal Finance Management Act.
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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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