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Bheki Nxumalo appointed Eskom generation head

State-owned power utility Eskom has appointed Bheki Nxumalo group executive for generation, with immediate effect. He will report directly to the Eskom Group acting CE Calib Cassim. Nxumalo’s career in the energy sector spans over 20 years from junior to senior management and executive levels. He is an all-round business leader comfortable in governance, people and technical aspects of the role, the utility said in a statement.
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LNG has multiple benefits as a transition fuel – CEO

Liquified natural gas (LNG) used in a generator enables individuals and enterprises to not only save costs but also reduce their carbon-emission contributions. Helium and natural gas producer Renergen CEO Stefano Marani says natural gas produces an inordinately smaller carbon footprint than that of diesel, oil or petrol.
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UPS systems necessary for businesses – company

Downtime can be costly for any business, especially for growing ones that need to be operational around the clock. Power management company Eaton’s uninterruptable power supply (UPS) systems are renowned for reliability, with a proven track record of providing UPS to critical systems. With Eaton UPS systems, businesses can be confident that their systems will remain up and running even during power outages.
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Pursuing a future with green hydrogen aircraft

While Western Cape drone developer FlyH2 Aerospace is making headway with the development of its long endurance, remotely piloted aircraft system hydrogen-electric aircraft, the Dragonfly V, it is establishing a new division, FlyH2 Energy, to develop fuel cells and water electrolysers for small-scale, green hydrogen production to power aircraft. The company hopes to collaborate with local institutions and companies to develop green hydrogen electrolysers and ground refuelling stations, says FlyH2 cofounder and lead designer Mark van Wyk.
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Consortium signs agreements for S Africa solar projects

Leading renewable energy company Mainstream and its consortium Ikamva will be advancing six solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in South Africa – with a combined capacity of 450 MW. This has been secured in Round 5 of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) towards financial close now that key implementation and 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) are in place.
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Africa has ‘golden opportunity’ in battery commodities market

The battery commodities market is experiencing a golden age of growth and development, spurred by rapid technological advances and the growing demand for batteries to support cleaner mobility and the roll-out of variable renewables generators. Global battery demand is forecast to grow by some 1 615 GWh, or 384.5%, over the next eight years, according to statistics aggregator Statista. This anticipated upsurge in demand for lithium-ion and other batteries is largely attributed to the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), which are expected to progressively replace internal combustion engine passenger cars.
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Green hydrogen to positively impact sector

The development of a green hydrogen economy will impact positively on South Africa’s labour landscape as the country continues to adapt to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) while, consequently, certain jobs will become redundant, says recruitment agency Oxyon People Solutions MD Viren Sookhun. Although job losses are a reality when repetitive tasks are automated through digital transformation, Sookhun forecasts that the jobs created through the growth and development of the local renewable-energy sector, including green hydrogen, will surpass 4IR job losses, cancelling out the impact on employment locally.
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How to finance the green hydrogen value chain

Derisking and understanding the technology, its requirements and cost benefits are critical factors that need to be considered when reviewing the financial feasibility of, and support for, the green hydrogen value chain, says South African National Energy Development Institute (Sanedi) renewables and cleaner fossil fuel manager Dr Karen Surridge. “Significant financial backing is required when entering any new sector, especially one as complex as the green hydrogen space, which will require substantial capital investment.”
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Stage 6 loadshedding to continue indefinitely as more units break down

Stage 6 loadshedding will remain in force until further notice, Eskom said late on Thursday. “The extension of loadshedding is caused by further breakdowns of generation units and continued shortage of generation capacity due to delays in returning to service some generation units,” the power utility said.
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Nedbank sees R10bn pipeline of green energy projects

Nedbank Group has increased its green finance pipeline to more than R10-billion as more South African businesses invest in private power generation after the government lifted restrictions to help resolve the country’s energy crisis. “There are very strong pipelines currently in our business and across the country for private sector generation – that is a very large growth sector in an otherwise challenging growth environment,” Nedbank Chief Executive Officer Mike Brown said in an interview with Bloomberg TV in Johannesburg. “It is going to take probably two to three years before that connects to the grid and fixes the problem.”
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