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South Africa tests market appetite for Independent Transmission Projects ahead of pilot

South Africa has issued a request for information (RFI) to gauge the level of interest and readiness of industry to participate in Independent Transmission Projects (ITP) as it prepares to launch an ITP pilot tender in 2025. Described as a “sounding exercise”, the RFI has been unveiled jointly by the National Treasury and the Ministry of Electricity and Energy, and includes a deadline for responses of February 28.
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Eskom reiterates commitment to safeguarding infrastructure

State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the separate sentencing of two individuals for theft of cables near the Duvha power station, in Mpumalanga, and said it was committed to safeguarding the security and integrity of its critical infrastructure. The utility has welcomed the 15-year prison sentence handed down to one person for the March theft of copper cable from the Duvha power station’s coal conveyor belt, as well as the five-year prison sentence handed down to another for the theft of aluminium cables near the power station. The sentences were handed down in October.
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Eskom provides update on coal plants where decommissioning has been delayed to 2030

State-owned electricity utility Eskom has provided some additional detail regarding the decision to continue operating 17 coal units across five power stations beyond their original decommissioning dates. The decision is in line with a May 23 determination by then Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy to allow Eskom to operate Hendrina, Grootvlei, Arnot, Camden and Kriel at existing minimum emission standards (MES) plant limits until March 31, 2030.
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Renewables covering area the size of Europe needed for clean energy future, report shows

A newly released report by technology and lifecycle solutions provider Wärtsilä shows that an area the size of Europe will need to be covered with renewable power to reach a clean energy future without the integration of balancing power technologies. Wärtsilä’s global power system modelling, published in the ‘Crossroads to net zero’ report, compares two pathways from 2025 to 2050 with the aim of reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and limiting global warming in alignment with the Paris Agreement targets.
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Minerals Council upbeat on South Africa’s electricity supply situation amid improved EAF

State-owned utility Eskom’s average energy availability factor (EAF) exceeded 60% for the seventh consecutive month in November. This milestone coincided with over 250 days without loadshedding and a significant reduction in open-cycle gas turbine (OCGT) use this year, industry organisation Minerals Council South Africa points out.
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Zimbabwe power users raise $250m for solar plan

Zimbabwe’s industrial power users have secured $250-million from the African Export-Import Bank to build floating solar panels at the world’s largest man-made lake. The Intensive Energy User Group, made up of mining companies including a former local unit of Rio Tinto and Mimosa, plan a 250 MW plant at the Kariba Dam to be implemented in 18 months, according to a copy of its presentation seen by Bloomberg. That can be expanded to 1 GW of solar capacity.
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Fixing logistics, water sectors still long way to go in South Africa – BLSA

While South Africa is starting to see the fruits of energy sector reforms, it still has a long way to go to fix the water, and transport and logistics sectors despite recent progress, says business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso. BLSA supported the National Logistics Crisis Committee (NLCC) in its efforts to develop the Freight Logistics Roadmap, with an important success being the establishment of the Transnet Rail Infrastructure Management company, with its own management and reporting structure separate from Transnet Freight Rail.
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Ramaphosa reflects on government progress, notes slow pace of economic growth

President Cyril Ramaphosa pointed out on Monday that strengthening local government is the Government of National Unity’s (GNU’s) key priority, noting disruptions in the supply of electricity and clean water in many districts. Ramaphosa wrote in his weekly letter to nation that many local councils are plagued by “poor governance, limited capacity and severe financial constraints”, all of which are affecting service delivery.
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Eskom, NTCSA brief lawmakers

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the key themes that emerged during a briefing by Eskom and the National Transmission Company South Africa to lawmakers this week. The briefing focused on the Transmission Development Plan and its implementation, private sector participation in the grid and Eskom’s plans to remain a big contributor of electricity generation.
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Growth drives job creation, skills development

Namibia is undergoing a transformative period in energy development, with significant developments in the traditional and renewable-energy sectors. Recent oil and gas discoveries in the Orange basin, together with green hydrogen and renewable-energy projects, offer strategic opportunities for economic growth, job creation and skills development, says technical recruitment specialist Workforce Staffing Namibia country manager Julien Karambua.
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