EWSETA develops, implements specialised renewable energy, water training programmes

To support the development of critical skills within the water and energy sector, the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) is developing and implementing specialised renewable energy and water resource management training programmes in a bid to align with industry needs and technological advancements. Among the courses in the pipeline are water works management, solar panel installation, wind turbine maintenance and other green energy solutions.
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PPP reforms could avert need for prescribed-assets policy to increase private infrastructure …

National Treasury director-general Dr Duncan Pieterse says the reforms being proposed to facilitate greater private sector investment into infrastructure could obviate the need to introduce a policy of ‘prescribed assets’, whereby pension funds would be required to direct a specified level of resources towards government-selected assets. Pieterse made the statement in response to a question posed during a virtual event hosted by PSG regarding government’s position on prescribed assets, which the governing African National Congress has included in its election manifesto as an instrument it could consider introducing to stimulate infrastructure investment and industrialisation.
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Yellow Door Energy to start construction on 48 MW Leeudoringstad solar plant soon

Independent power producer Yellow Door Energy has completed the development phase for a 48 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Leeudoringstad, in North West. Construction will begin in the second quarter of the year and the solar PV plant is expected to be operational by the second quarter of 2025.
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Eskom board tasks Marokane with three priorities in his first 100 days as CEO

State-owned power utility Eskom’s board of directors has tasked incoming CEO Dan Marokane to prioritise three key areas – assessing the generation operational recovery plan, reviewing Eskom’s unbundling plans and engaging with internal and external stakeholders – in his first 100 days in office. Marokane on March 1 assumed the role of Eskom CEO at a time when the utility faces an existential challenge and is undergoing significant changes that require hands-on, bold and decisive leadership.
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KwaZulu-Natal municipalities now owe Eskom R1.5bn

The debt owed by municipalities in KwaZulu-Natal to Eskom have increased by R818-million between March 2023 and January this year, resulting in municipalities in the province now owing Eskom R1.5-billion. The State-owned power utility supplies electricity in bulk to these municipalities, which, in turn, sell it at a profit to their customers.
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Eskom to take over Ekurhuleni loadshedding owing to city’s noncompliance

State-owned utility Eskom will resume direct loadshedding for City of Ekurhuleni (CoE) customers after the city’s repeated failure to adhere to its obligations in this regard. Eskom said in a statement on February 29 that it would take over the role of loadshedding for the CoE’s customers from March 1.
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Project finance clinched for 520 MW South African wind, solar projects – Anglo

Johannesburg- and London-listed diversified mining and marketing company Anglo American announced on Thursday that jointly owned renewable energy venture with EDF Renewables, Envusa Energy, has completed the project financing for its first three wind and solar projects in South Africa. The terms and structure of this non-recourse project financing are typical of high-quality renewable energy infrastructure assets. These three renewable energy projects, known as the Koruson 2 cluster of projects and located on the border of the Northern and Eastern Cape provinces of South Africa, will have a total capacity of 520 MW of wind and solar electricity generation.
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Amplats signs renewable energy offtake agreement with Envusa Energy

Platinum group metals (PGMs) miner Anglo American Platinum (Amplats) has, through its wholly owned Rustenburg Platinum Mines (RPM) subsidiary, entered into a 20-year energy offtake agreement (EOA) with Envusa Energy. Envusa is a joint venture between EDF Renewables and Amplats’ parent company Anglo American with a focus on establishing a regional renewable energy ecosystem (RREE) in Southern Africa.
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Multi-Party Charter reveals its plans to end loadshedding if ANC can be ousted

The 11 political parties that are members of the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) for South Africa have voiced a unified plan to end loadshedding once and for all if only they could collectively oust ruling party the African National Congress (ANC) at the upcoming national elections on May 29. The MPC is comprised of the Democratic Alliance (DA), the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP), the Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus), ActionSA, the African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP), the Independent South African National Civic Organisation (Isanco), the United Independent Movement (UIM), the Spectrum National Party (SNP), Ekhethu People’s Party (EPP), the Unemployed National Party (UNP) and the United Christian Democratic Party (UCDP). 
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TVET colleges ‘not in a good state’ – EWSETA

South Africa’s technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges are not in a good state, Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) CEO Mpho Mookapele has said. “Our TVETs are actually supposed to be producing skills for industry, because this is where you get practical training and links to industry. But most of our TVETS aren’t even linked to industry,” she said during a media briefing, in Johannesburg, on February 27.
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