Tag Archive for: Electricity

Eskom announced on Friday that it had extended an eleventh-hour 62c/kWh tariff offer to ferrochrome producers Glencore‑Merafe Chrome Venture and Samancor, but indicated that negotiations on the precise terms and conditions still needed to be finalised before the package could be submitted for regulatory approval. Hence the details of the package, including its structure, duration, take-or-pay commitments, and any risk-and-reward sharing, would only be made available once the negotiations had been concluded and a submission was made to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for its approval of the discounted tariff.

Eskom Holdings will be allowed to take over the distribution of electricity in South African municipalities that collectively owed the state utility R85.2-billion at the end of last year. The government has offered support to local authorities that have fallen into arrears due to weak revenue generation, poor credit controls and other financial pressures. But only 15 of 71 councils that signed up for a turnaround program have consistently met the conditions to qualify for relief from the state, including demonstrating improved debt collection.

Power utility Eskom is encouraging communities, environmental groups, industry representatives, government institutions and other interested and affected parties to review, and comment on, a draft cost-benefit analysis (CBA) report and related documents on flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) at the Medupi Power Station, in Limpopo. Eskom had previously applied to then Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Dr Deon George for an exemption from compliance with certain minimum emission standards (MES) limits for a period in 2025. In response, the Minister on March 31, 2025, issued a directive, requiring Eskom to complete and publish for stakeholder comment a revised and expanded plant-specific CBA for FGD at Medupi.

South Africa’s pursuit of energy security and the correct energy mix must be hinged on science-based policy, and government must take on a leading role, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr  Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said in a keynote address, on February 24, at the first day of the South African National Energy Development Institute’s (Sanedi)’s third yearly conference, being held this week in Ekurhuleni. He pointed out that with energy and the energy complex being the “defining moment of our time”, stakeholders like Sanedi would be pivotal in helping resolve the questions surrounding this and guiding the country’s policies.

In this article, South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) technical and policy manager Sim Khuluse writes that South Africa’s solar PV sector has entered a pivotal execution phase, with installed capacity now exceeding 10.2 GW and a strong pipeline of utility‑scale projects approaching commercial operation; however, without urgent grid modernisation and clear market rules ahead of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market’s launch, the sector’s current investment momentum could be at risk.