Posts

Karpowership permitted to resubmit Richards Bay bid

Karpowership secured permission from South Africa’s environment department to refile an application to moor a ship-mounted power plant in the eastern port of Richards Bay as the company’s stalled plans to affect a 1 220 MW electricity supply contract regains momentum. The Turkish company withdrew its submission to deploy the 450 MW plant earlier this year after it faced a complaint that it hadn’t notified a competitor, which had its own plans for the port. On Wednesday, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment dismissed a complaint by a nonprofit against Karpowership’s plan to moor a similar plant at Saldanha on South Africa’s west coast.
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Loadshedding will be reduced to Stages 3 and 4 over the weekend

Power utility Eskom says that, as a result of lower weekend demand and the return to service of some generating units, Stage 3 and 4 loadshedding will be implemented this weekend. Since yesterday morning, a generating unit each at Hendrina, Lethabo and Tutuka power stations have returned to service.
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Treasury engages municipalities on debt owed to Eskom

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the longstanding and growing problem of municipalities’ outstanding debt to power utility Eskom: the  National Treasury’s engagement with municipalities on a scheme to potentially write off their debt to Eskom; and the conditions that may be placed on municipalities wanting to participate in the scheme.
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Diverse approach needed to solve energy crisis

As a vast continent, with 54 countries and more than 1 000 languages, Africa’s approach to electrification and industrialisation should be both intricate and collaborative, says Frost & Sullivan Africa partner and CEO Hendrik Malan.
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Event to focus on JET

With this year’s Enlit Africa event themed ‘The Multi-dimensional, multi-sectoral energy transition’, Enlit Africa content head Claire Volkwyn says this was the natural progression following last year’s theme of collaboration.
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Energy access in Africa a key topic at this year’s Enlit Africa

The upcoming Enlit Africa conference and expo will address the challenges of access to energy in Africa. The conference will be held over three days on May 16 to 18.

The keynote session on day two of the conference will focus on Africa’s energy transition and the importance of ensuring that energy access is at the core of that shift.

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Solar trailers transform industry

Equipped with solar panels that power various farming equipment, automation company Iritron’s off-grid solar trailers are especially useful for small-scale farmers who do not have access to grid power at all times. “Solar trailers are a game-changer for small farmers. They provide a reliable source of power that farmers can use to irrigate their crops, run their borehole pumps and power other equipment such as incubators,” says Iritron divisional manager Gerhard Greeff.
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BLSA defends R18m support for private investigation at Eskom

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has defended the organisation’s decision to respond to a request by former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to fund a private investigation into crime and corruption at the State-owned utility and has also confirmed that BLSA provided R18-million to support the initiative. However, she insists that BLSA had no role in the appointment of George Fivaz Forensic & Risk, nor in vetting the lead investigator Tony Oosthuizen, who has been identified in media reports as having been an apartheid military intelligence operative who allegedly claims to have killed 20 anti-apartheid activist.
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Solar-powered PUE systems unlock more revenue, lower costs for African farmers, SMEs

Productive Use of Energy (PUE) applications powered by solar panels pose a massive opportunity for small businesses on the continent, particularly in the agricultural space, to increase revenue and achieve lower operational costs.

The Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) on May 4 published its ‘Productive Use Catalogue’, which unpacks the definition of PUE, as many stakeholders have varying definitions; its different applications; how beneficial it has been for many companies and end-users; and what could be expected in the near future.

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Busa affirms support for an NHI backed by public/private collaboration

Business Unity South Africa (Busa) CEO Cas Coovadia on Thursday stressed the organisation’s support for the establishment of National Health Insurance, but only if there is collaboration between the private and public sectors. Speaking on Day 1 of the second Presidential Health Compact Summit, Coovadia said the partnership was important to coordinate healthcare delivery to South Africans.
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