A decade into the creation of South Africa’s renewable energy sector, it has become apparent that it is still lagging in gender diversity, which is why South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli says the industry is actively giving attention to adjust and improve the levels of gender representation, at all levels, with the launch of its Gender Diversity Working Group. “Gender diversity means a fair gender representation across all spheres of our industry,” she comments, lamenting that a 2020 report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) and the Women in Wind Global Leadership Program shows that women represent only 21% of the global wind energy workforce and only 8% of its senior management.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called on Saturday for a binding deal by the summer on the operation of a giant Ethiopian hydropower dam, as he made his first visit to neighbouring Sudan since the 2019 overthrow of Omar al-Bashir. Egypt also signalled support for Sudan in a dispute with Ethiopia over an area on the border between the two countries where there have recently been armed skirmishes.
Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about South Africa’s plans to resume the procurement of renewable energy after a six-year stall, what commitments have been made by government and the potential for industrialisation around the programme?
South Africa added 515 MW of new wind capacity in 2020 cementing its wind leadership on the African continent, a new Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) analysis shows. By the end of last year, South Africa had 2 500 MW of cumulative wind capacity installed, representing about 34% of the 7 300 MW of capacity installed across Africa and the Middle East.
Power project developer Red Rocket has announced the start of commercial operations at the 4 MW Kruisvallei hydropower plant, along the Ash River between Clarens and Bethlehem, in the Free State.
The completion of the plant comes almost two years since construction began on March 26, 2019.
The Eskom board has claimed that a number of allegations made in the public and media, including against its CEO Andre de Ruyter, are aiming to influence internal operations and good governance processes at the state power utility. These allegations and what the board regards as accompanying unwarranted attacks on Eskom’s management team, have, in its view, the potential effect of distracting management from the critical role of restoring Eskom to operational effectiveness and financial stability.
Look just beneath the surface of many of the technologies powering the energy transition and there’s a red metallic glint. Copper is a vital part of green infrastructure from grids to wind turbines, and a recent price surge threatens to make decarbonization more costly. Copper has doubled from the lows seen a year ago and is near a nine-year high. Amid predictions of a new commodity supercycle kicking off, many analysts say the top hasn’t yet been reached for a metal that’s core to the green energy drive.
While there is growing momentum across the world in investing in hydrogen and the related import and export value chains, management consulting company Kearney MD Romain Debarre warns that there is still a lack of supply and demand for the hydrogen economy. While there is a market for hydrogen consumption, and for finding and producing the clean fuel, “there is no real significant market at the moment for new green hydrogen”, he told delegates attending the Africa Gas Forum this week.
As gas opportunities rise owing to recent discoveries and Africa’s ongoing energy deficit, management consulting company Kearney metals and mining global lead Igor Hulak says gas provides a “viable opportunity” to decrease dependency on coal. “Natural gas will remain a critical element of the global energy portfolio as Southern Africa navigates the energy transition to address climate change and intends to provide electricity to more than 600-million people currently going without.”
Africa will require more energy sources than renewables to ensure the continent’s growth and its industrialisation, International Gas Union secretary general elect Andy Calitz told delegates attending the virtual Africa Gas Forum, on March 2. He said natural gas was already considered to be one of the most important sources of electricity in Africa, and that its use was likely to continue.
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