Eskom to extend load-shedding to Wednesday

Eskom announced on Sunday that stage 2 load shedding will be extended to 05:00 on Wednesday following the loss of further generation capacity and to replenish emergency generation reserves. The power utility said it regrets having to take this step, but it is due to generation capacity still being severely constrained.
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Global summit to boost clean energy momentum

International energy and climate leaders from the world’s largest economies will take part in the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Conference of the Parties 26 (COP26’s) Net Zero Summit later this month to accelerate the momentum behind clean energy and examine how countries could work together more effectively to reduce their greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions to net zero in line with shared international goals. Co-hosted by IEA executive director Fatih Birol and COP26 president Alok Sharma, the Net Zero Summit is a critical milestone on the road to COP26 in Glasgow in November.
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Bulk dough manufacturer commissions solar plant to lower costs, drive sustainability

South African dough manufacturer Goosebumps, in a drive to improve its sustainability, has installed a 250 kW, 618-panel solar photovoltaic power plant at its Cape Town factory.

The plant provides almost 25% of the site’s electricity requirement.

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Load-shedding a major obstacle for small businesses

A mixture of Covid-19 restrictions and related subdued consumer behaviour and poor national grid electricity stability are impacting on small businesses chances of survival, states South African Solar Photovoltaic Industry (SAPVIA) COO Niveshen Govender.

He notes that South Africa’s economic future depends on the lights staying on, especially at a time when the national power utility Eskom has again been implementing load-shedding.

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Creecy proclaims three more REDZ

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the proclamation of three more Renewable Energy Development Zones and why these are important for the country’s just transition.
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Opinion: Addressing the misconceptions around Eskom’s proposed electricity tariff changes

In this opinion piece, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) COO Niveshen Govender points out that proposed changes to the electricity tariffs charged by Eskom  shows that the utility is moving to a more proactive position that responds to the needs of consumers but also ensures increased uptake of alternative energy connections in a responsible way. Over the years, criticising Eskom has become quite the pastime for many South African commentators. While the State-owned utility is not immune from criticism, this time, Eskom is taking necessary, proactive, and productive steps to respond to the country’s changing energy environment.
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Opinion: Incentivising Strategic Development: moving one step closer, or two steps back?

In this opinion piece, Webber Wentzel’s Kirsty Kilner and Gillian Niven discuss how a new requirement may result in delays in renewable energy development in designated areas. Faced with ongoing blackouts, an economy downgraded to junk status and the highest level of unemployment since 2008, the South African government is under more pressure than ever before to promote energy development and attract investment.
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Fortress reports steady progress on strategy, focusing portfolio

Real estate investment trust (Reit) Fortress is effectively executing its development strategy and has managed to secure tenants for about 340 000 square metres of gross lettable area (GLA) out of its one-million square metre GLA logistics development pipeline in South Africa. Nearly 62 500 square metres of GLA was completed and let in the six-month interim reporting period to the end of December 2020, while the remainder of about 278 000 square metres is work-in-progress.
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New report highlights decade of falling electricity production in South Africa

A new Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) report offers a sobering picture of declining electricity system production and demand between 2010 and 2020 – a trend that was amplified further during Covid-hit 2020, when demand slumped by a sharp 5.1%, or 11.8 TWh, to a decade low level of 227 TWh. Titled ‘Statistics of utility-scale power generation in South Africa in 2020’, the report has been compiled by the CSIR Energy Centre’s Joanne Calitz and Dr Jarrad Wright.
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Renergen strikes gas at another well, CEO says it is an ‘unexpected bonus’

Domestic natural gas and helium producer Renergen has made another significant gas strike at its Virginia gas project, this time in well MDR1, 300 m north of the currently producing MDR5 well. The Virginia project is located in South Africa’s Free State province.
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