President Cyril Ramaphosa has again underlined the industrialisation potential of green hydrogen, and has stressed that South Africa will used its G20 Presidency as well as its participation in the upcoming G7 meeting in Canada to call for a prioritisation of just energy transitions as engines of economic growth and social development. In an address to the Africa Green Hydrogen Summit in Cape Town, Ramaphosa described green hydrogen is an anchor for industrial transformation and infrastructure investment, as well as a bridge to a new export industry for African countries.
The World Bank’s board has agreed to end a longstanding ban on funding nuclear energy projects in developing countries as part of a broader push to meet rising electricity needs, the bank’s president Ajay Banga said on Wednesday. Banga outlined the bank’s revised energy strategy in an email to staff after what he called a constructive discussion with the board on Tuesday. He said the board was not yet in agreement on whether the bank should engage in funding the production of natural gas, and if so, under what circumstances.
A $5.8-billion project on South Africa’s east coast seeks to use the country’s infrastructure and cheap renewable power to make some of the world’s cheapest green ammonia for clients in Europe and Asia, an executive said. South Africa is vying with other African nations, including Egypt, Morocco and Namibia, to meet rising demand in the EU and Asia for hydrogen and ammonia described as green because they are produced from renewable energy.
The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has indicated that it is aiming to have the initial phase of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market, also referred to as the SAWEM, operating by April 1 next year, should it have received regulatory approval to do so. In a presentation to the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, NTCSA’s Andrew Etzinger reported that it had applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for a Market Operator licence.
Energy and automation company Schneider Electric launched its first Innovation Hub in Africa at its new head office in Midrand, Gauteng. The Innovation Hub now forms part of Schneider Electric’s global network of over 40 registered Innovation Hubs and brings to life the company’s vision of sustainability and digitalisation for customers, partners and stakeholders across the continent.
Canada-listed Africa Energy Corp is aiming to start production from South Africa’s largest gas discovery by 2033, its CEO said on Tuesday, as it forges ahead with a project former operator TotalEnergies walked away from. The company is awaiting regulatory approval for a reworked environmental authorisation to survey Block 11B/12B off South Africa’s southern coast.
The UK government announced on Tuesday that Rolls-Royce SMR, a subsidiary of the UK-based global power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the country’s small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) programme. The UK SMR programme was being implemented by Great British Energy – Nuclear (previously Great British Nuclear), a State-owned company, and would receive State funding of more than £2.5-billion over the next four years. “Great British Energy – Nuclear has run a rigorous competition and will now work with the preferred bidder Rolls-Royce SMR to build the country’s first-ever [SMRs] – creating thousands of jobs and growing our regional economies while strengthening our energy security,” highlighted UK Energy and Net-Zero Secretary (Cabinet Minister) Ed Miliband.
Telecommunications giant Vodacom Group has reached a major decarbonisation milestone – 100% of its purchased electricity is now from renewable sources. The group has several on-site renewable power installations, procures electricity through renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) and purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs).
The World Bank has approved a $1.5-billion loan to support structural reforms aimed at boosting South Africa’s infrastructure. The Washington-based lender said in a statement the operation will address the nation’s challenges of low growth and high unemployment by easing constraints in its energy and freight transport sectors.
South African independent power producer (IPP) Mulilo has emerged as a leading battery storage project sponsor following three public procurement bidding rounds. It is participating in 12 of the 18 projects awarded, which together have a capacity of 1 134 MWh/4 536 MWh, representing a market share of 65%. The Cape Town-based IPP has taken the lead in nine of the projects in the North West, Free State and Gauteng provinces, and is partnering with EDF in three Northern Cape projects that are currently under construction and have a capacity of 257 MW/1 028 MWh.
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