Role of gas in SA’s future energy mix under intense scrutiny

Given South Africa’s ongoing energy crisis, there remains much debate around whether gas should be included in the future energy mix and, if so, how much. Advocates argue that the fossil fuel is a necessity and a step up from coal – since it produces fewer carbon emissions when burned – but many still oppose its large-scale incorporation into, owing to the global shift towards clean energy technologies such as renewables, battery storage, green hydrogen and even nuclear.
/by

All conditions met for separation of NTCSA, but April deadline for full operationalisation missed

All the suspensive conditions opening the way for the National Transmission Company of South Africa (NTCSA) to be constituted as a separate, distinct and wholly-owned subsidiary of Eskom Holdings have been met, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Eskom chairperson Mteto Nyati have announced in a joint statement. Still outstanding, however, is the fulfilment of Companies Act requirements, which meant that the April deadline for the full operationalisation of the NTCSA had been missed. It is anticipated that the NTCSA will commence trading about two months after the fulfilment of these requirements.
/by

Concrete towers selected for Impofu wind farm to bolster local content

Enel Green Power South Africa has confirmed that the Nordex manufacturing facility being set up in Humansdorp, in the Eastern Cape, will produce concrete wind tower sections for the three new wind farms that make up its Impofu Cluster. With a combined capacity of 336 MW, the Impofu East, Impofu West and Impofu North projects will comprise 57 turbines, atop 120-m-high concrete towers.
/by

TNPA moves ahead with R60m seawater desalination project at Port of East London

South Africa’s State-owned Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has awarded a R60-million contract for the construction of a water desalination plant at the Port of East London, the country’s only river port. The contract has been awarded to a JV comprising Norland Civil Engineers and Contractors and Impact Water Solutions, trading as Sun Water East London, which will construct and operate the solar-powered facility over a seven-year period.
/by

South Africa coal-plant closure delays risk thousands of deaths

Delays to the planned closures of coal-fired power plants proposed by South Africa’s energy department could result in thousands of deaths from air pollution and lead to billions of dollars of health-related costs, an air-quality research agency said. The projection about the health impacts of the delays, which the energy department says are necessary to guarantee the country’s energy security, add to criticism of South Africa’s draft blueprint for power supply through 2050.
/by

Autocast to benefit from renewables deal with Etana Energy

Cast and machined components supplier Autocast South Africa is the first of more than 30 of Nelson Mandela Bay’s largest electricity users to benefit from a renewable power supply deal with electricity trading company Etana Energy. “This was borne out of the Nelson Mandela Bay Business Chamber’s (NMBBC) Renewable Energy Cluster, which brought together some of the highest energy users in the Bay around two years ago to find a common solution for procuring clean power. After going through a rigorous selection process, Etana Energy was selected as the preferred renewable electricity supplier.
/by

BLSA calls for immediate reworking of IRP, describing assumptions as ‘spurious’

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), whose members include the largest domestic and foreign companies operating in South Africa, has added its voice to a growing chorus of opposition to the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) and has called for it to be “revised immediately”. Writing in her weekly newsletter, CEO Busisiwe Mavuso said no good case had been built for the assumptions in the IRP 2023 and warned that the document was “tainting” the positive news associated with reduced levels of loadshedding, which she attributed to the Energy Action Plan and the collaboration between government and business.
/by

Third battery storage programme seeks bids for five Free State sites

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has launched South Africa’s third public procurement round for utility-scale batteries, while also extending the bid submission deadline for Bid Window Two (BW2) of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) launched in December, and naming a fifth preferred bidder from BW 1. In a statement, the department said the BESIPPPP BW3 request for proposals was seeking bidders for 616 MW/2 464 MWh of battery projects by July 31 for five pre-selected substation sites.
/by

China could drive Africa’s renewable energy revolution, report says

China has a unique opportunity to drive forward an energy revolution in Africa, but it must first reverse nearly two decades of neglect of green power investments there, research from Boston University showed on Tuesday. Beijing has emerged as the continent’s biggest bilateral trading partner since the start of the century and has financed billions of dollars worth of large-scale infrastructure projects.
/by

Eskom to implement Nersa-approved electricity price increase from April 1

Power utility Eskom has confirmed that it will implement electricity price increases, as approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), from April 1. The utility in October 2023 applied to Nersa for the approval of its Retail Tariff and Structural Adjustment Application and the schedule of tariffs for the period from April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025.
/by