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As cold front hits, Ramokgopa expects loadshedding intensity to remain in check as attention …

Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the first part of the Energy Action Plan’s (EAP’s) two-part goal of reducing the intensity of loadshedding has been largely achieved as the plan approaches its first-year anniversary. However, he says more work is required to address the second part, which relates to reducing the frequency of power cuts, which remain a daily reality. Delivering his weekly update on the implementation of the plan as the high-load Gauteng province was being hit by a cold front, Ramokgopa moved to highlight the supply and demand improvements that had been made since the EAP’s unveiling by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 25 last year.
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Eskom to launch solar, battery tenders in 2024 as part of Komati ‘repowering’

Eskom reports that concessional funding of $497-million secured for the repowering and repurposing of the Komati coal power station, in Mpumalanga, is expected to become effective at the end of July. The final unit of Komati, which entered into commercial operation in 1961, was shut on October 31 last year and the site has since emerged as the flagship location for Eskom’s Just Energy Transition (JET) strategy.
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Congo and South Africa plan to revive Inga 3 hydro project

Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa on Thursday pledged to revive Congo’s giant Inga 3 hydroelectric project that South Africa hopes will help solve its crippling power crisis. The $14-billion project, which will harness the power of the Congo River, has been repeatedly delayed by red tape and disagreements between Congo and its partners.
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Grid capacity, skills shortages hampering renewables roll-out

Grid capacity constraints and skills shortages have been highlighted by several renewable industry leaders as the primary issues that are holding South Africa back from overcoming the current energy crisis. In a webinar hosted by Creamer Media last month, pundits from various industry bodies discussed the role that renewable energy might play in assisting South Africa in overcome loadshedding.
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KITE 2023 promises to be ‘bigger and better’

The KwaZulu-Natal Industrial Technology Exhibition, also known as KITE, will be held at the Durban Exhibition Centre from July 18 to 20 for the fortieth consecutive year.  Attendance numbers are expected to exceed those of last year, at 2 716, even though the 2022 event was the first in-person trade show to be hosted following the Covid-19 lockdowns. 
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Civil society groups appeal Kusile’s pollution exemption

Civil society groups have lodged their appeal against a decision granting Eskom a temporary exemption to bypass pollution controls at Kusile. The exemption allows Eskom to run Kusile without flue gas desulphurisation (FGD), which is required to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions.
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Loadshedding on the horizon for the weekend as repairs delayed accreditation

Varying stages of loadshedding will be implemented from Friday until Monday morning, Eskom said in a statement on Thursday.  Stage 1 loadshedding will remain in place until 16:00 on Thursday, followed by Stage 3 until midnight. Power cuts will then be suspended until 05:00 on Friday, after which the pattern will be repeated on Friday and Saturday. 
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Mining, refining, smelting investment of up to $4tr by 2030 needed to support net-zero shift …

As the world accelerates the deployment of climate technologies in support of the net-zero transition, there is a risk that materials supply might not scale at the required speed, a new McKinsey & Company report warns. To meet demand for minerals and metals used in battery electric vehicles (BEVs), wind turbines, solar panels and electrolysers, the report states that mining project development would need to far exceed historical growth rates, while the pace of exploration would also have to accelerate.
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Eskom’s approved plan to bypass pollution rules hit by appeal

Environmental activists have appealed against a South African government decision to allow Eskom Holdings to bypass equipment used to reduce sulphur dioxide pollution while it repairs one of its biggest coal-fired power plants. The appeal has been filed to the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment by groundWork and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action, according to court documents distributed by the Centre for Environmental Rights, the lawyers representing the groups, on Thursday.
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Opinion: Embracing renewable energy – a catalyst for sustainable mining

In this article, JUWI Renewables South Africa MD Richard Doyle shares insights from a recent Africa Energy Forum panel discussion during which experts from the renewable energy and mining sectors explored ways to overcome challenges to and accelerate the adoption of renewable energy in mining.
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