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Solar panel lifting product simplifies solar system installation

The solar energy market is surging in South Africa – particularly in the commercial and industrial sectors – as businesses seek cost-effective, sustainable solutions to manage rising electricity costs. For this reason, solar power has become an increasingly attractive investment. While loadshedding has eased in recent months, energy costs remain high, prompting companies operating in agriculture, engineering, and manufacturing to turn to rooftop solar to manage long-term operational expenses.
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New independent directors must be appointed for Necsa board to be quorate

Following the resignation of five board members from the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) last week, Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa will need to appoint new independent directors to ensure that the board is quorate. Necsa chairperson Dave Nicholls, who has not resigned, confirmed with Engineering News that the five individuals resigned because of their unhappiness with the implementation of salary increases for senior executives.
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Petrol to be 4 c/ℓ cheaper, diesel by up to 57 c/ℓ less from Wednesday

Petrol prices will drop by 4 c/ℓ from September 3, Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe has announced. The reduction applies to both unleaded (ULP) and lead replacement petrol (LRP), covering grades 93 and 95. Meanwhile, 0.05% sulphur diesel will be cheaper by 56 c/ℓ, while 0.005% sulphur diesel will cost 57 c/ℓ less.
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Mavuso slams Eskom’s tariff system as ‘farcical’, calls for urgent electricity sector reform

There is no greater sign of the urgent need for reform of the electricity sector than the way State-owned utility Eskom’s electricity tariffs are set, Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has asserted. “The whole system is far from the way prices should be set – through a competitive market in which firms aim to sell to consumers by offering them better value than others,” she said in the latest edition of her weekly newsletter, published on September 1.
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Public hearings to be held on NTCSA’s application for electricity market operator licence

A public hearing into the National Transmission Company South Africa’s (NTCSA’s) application for a market operator licence will be hosted by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) on September 30. The licensing of the NTCSA as the independent market operator is viewed as a key milestone for the launch of the South African Wholesale Electricity Market (SAWEM), which has been tentatively set for April next year.
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Nersa registered 111 generation facilities in the April to June quarter

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) says it has, for the quarter ended June 30 – the first quarter of the 2025/26 financial year – registered 111 generation facilities, with a total capacity of 1 916 MW and an estimated investment value of R51.91-billion. This brings the total number of generation facilities registered with Nersa since 2018 to 2 056, with a total capacity of 12 757 MW and a total investment cost of R293-billion.
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AfriForum probes legality of Nersa settlement with Eskom

Lobby group AfriForum said on Friday that it will consult with its legal team about the constitutionality of the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) behind-closed-doors settlement with State-owned entity Eskom. The settlement agreement relates to errors made by the regulator in its sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) revenue decision, which was revealed by online publication Moneyweb.
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Eskom supplier receives 12-year prison sentence; to repay R2.6m

Power utility Eskom welcomes the sentencing handed down by the Middelburg Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, in Mpumalanga, earlier this month relating to a case of fraud and corruption at the Tutuka power station. In 2020, Eskom’s investigations uncovered a syndicate that was paid to deliver three containers to the power station, but only one container was delivered. It also failed to meet the utility’s specifications.
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Energy firm makes major gas discovery in Mpumalanga

Perth-based gas exploration company Kinetiko Energy has confirmed one of South Africa’s most significant onshore gas finds, following about a decade of work in Mpumalanga. The company has drilled over 40 core exploration holes and eight gas production test wells in the region, resulting in a discovery now certified at 6-trillion cubic feet (tcf) of contingent gas resources and a further 5.8 tcf of prospective resources.
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Project set to anchor LNG ambitions

A gas-to-power project under development is set to become a significant addition to South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), delivering much-needed dispatchable capacity and laying the groundwork for a viable liquefied natural gas (LNG) market. This potential project is being spearheaded through a collaboration between gas trader Spring Lights Gas (SLG) and engineering consultancy Alpenglow Consulting. They are developing a gas-fired facility, complete with supporting infrastructure and grid connection to help South Africa “keep its lights on”.
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