As South Africa emerges from the Covid-19-induced economic crisis, the most strategic objective would be to relieve the economy and its growth path from the stronghold of insufficient access to sustainable and competitive power generation, advisory Pan-African Investment and Research Services founder and CE Dr Iraj Abedian has said.

He has published a research paper on a just energy transition, which states that even before the pandemic struck, the country had already recorded a technical recession, it being the second in just two years, which is in part owing to the State-owned energy utility Eskom’s inability to supply adequate and reliable electricity.

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has again called on government to open the way for the procurement of more new electricity capacity in addition to the 11 800 MW outlined in a recently gazetted Ministerial determination, cautioning that the 1 500 MW of new coal included in the determination is unlikely to be built in the timeframes outlined, if at all. Speaking to broadcaster Bruce Whitfield as part of a PSG-organised webinar, De Ruyter said that, even if the capital could be raised for new coal, the projects would struggle to secure environmental approvals and the commissioning schedule envisaged in the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP2019).
Capetonian Zirk Botha – a former naval combat officer and adventure racer – is preparing final arrangements to depart from Cape Town on a 7 000 km-long solo rowing trip on his boat Ratel across the Atlantic ocean, to Rio de Janeiro.

Sponsored by the company he works for – juwi Renewable Energies – Botha plans to depart from Granger Bay at on December 1, following which he will row for about 100 days unassisted. His boat’s electrical equipment will run solely from solar panels and batteries.

Capetonian Zirk Botha – a former naval combat officer and adventure racer – is preparing final arrangements to depart from Cape Town on a 7 000 km-long solo rowing trip on his boat Ratel across the Atlantic ocean, to Rio de Janeiro.

Sponsored by the company he works for – juwi Renewable Energies – Botha plans to depart from Granger Bay at on December 1, following which he will row for about 100 days unassisted. His boat’s electrical equipment will run solely from solar panels and batteries.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has given stakeholders until February 5 to comment on a Section 34 determination received from Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe for the procurement of new nuclear capacity post-2030. The draft determination delivered to Nersa by the Minister for its concurrence states that the commencement of the procurement of 2 500 MW of nuclear capacity is in line with “Decision 8 of the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP2019)”, gazetted on October 18, 2019.
Enel Group renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power and medicines company Novartis have signed a ten-year, 100% renewable virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) for 78 MW of renewable power.

This pan-European VPPA will start in January 2022 and will help Novartis achieve its goals for 100% renewable electricity and carbon-neutrality across its European operations by 2025.

JSE-listed real estate investment trust (Reit) Emira Property Fund has been increasing its use of renewable energy since the 2015 installation of a 271 kW solar plant on the roof of its Epsom Downs Shopping Centre, in Bryanston.

Since then the company has been continuing the rollout of solutions that mitigate environmental and economic risks, both for itself and for its tenants’ businesses.

  Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Creamer Media Editor Terence Creamer about plans by Eskom to repurpose and repower three coal-fired power stations that are due for decommissioning, why it is important for creating a just transition framework and the need for South Africa to determine a common just energy transition vision.  
Access to dry-type transformer technology has been boosted throughout Africa, following the partnership of South African transformer supplier Trafo Power Solutions with Italian transformer manufacturer TMC Transformers at the end of 2018. “The business prospects for TMC in Africa are quite good and we note that there are many different signals or business indexes that have shown a plan for investment. In many of these business sectors, there is a demand for specialised dry-type transformer technology suitable for different ambient conditions and capable of high performances,” says TMC Transformers business development manager Robert Deri.
Private sector participation in the energy sector, small-scale hydro and minigrid opportunities, desalination as an option to secure water security and helping sustainable small and medium-sized enterprises with a toolkit are just some of the highlights of the digital African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa agenda. The programme forms part of the upcoming Digital Energy Festival for Africa which unites African Utility Week and POWERGEN Africa, Africa Energy Forum and the Oil & Gas Council’s Africa Assembly under one banner – offering an unprecedented five-week tour de force of quality content and engagement on Africa’s largest, all-encompassing digital energy platform.