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EDF power solutions aims to add 500 MW of low-carbon assets yearly in South Africa

French energy group EDF says the consolidation of its two international low-carbon businesses into a new entity called EDF power solutions has repositioned it to implement multi-technology projects in the 25 countries in which it operates, including South Africa, where it has a goal of closing 5 GW of projects by 2030. EDF power solutions Southern Africa VP Tristan de Drouas says the merged entity, which combines EDF Renewables and the EDF Group International Division, has expertise in wind, solar, hybrid, hydropower and pump hydro storage, battery energy storage systems (BESS) and biomass.
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Necsa, EWSETA sign MoU to jointly develop high-grade skills in South Africa   

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and the Energy and Water Sector Education and Training Authority (EWSETA) jointly announced on Monday that they had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). This MoU created a strategic partnership to jointly create high-impact education, training and skills development programmes, which would reinforce the country’s capability to develop scarce but critical and future-proof skills required by both the nuclear and water sectors. (The MoU was actually signed on Thursday, July 24.)  “Collaborating with institutions such as EWSETA through our Necsa Learning Academy is essential to advancing South Africa’s national and socioeconomic development agenda,” highlighted Necsa Group CEO Loyiso Tyabashe. “This MoU enables us to better define and meet the evolving needs of the nuclear sector, ensuring our industry has the capacity to support strategic infrastructure and energy goals.” 
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SAPVIA announces newly electred governing committee

Industry body the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has announced its newly elected governing committee, led by outgoing treasurer Advocate Mtho Xulu as chairperson. De Villiers Botha returns as deputy chairperson and Nicola Cencelli is the new treasurer.
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Nuclear regulator grants NRWDI licence to operate Vaalputs radioactive waste facility

South Africa’s National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) has granted the National Radioactive Waste Disposal Institute (NRWDI) the nuclear licence to manage and operate the Vaalputs National Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility, located in the Northern Cape. The licence has been held hitherto by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation, or Necsa.
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AfDB provides $474m loan for South Africa’s energy transition, infrastructure governance

Development finance institution (DFI) the African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed a $474.6-million loan agreement with South Africa to support the implementation of the country’s Just Energy Transition (JET). The loan will finance the infrastructure governance and green growth programme, the National Treasury says in a statement.
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South Africa urged to maximise short-term coal gains while accelerating long-term energy transition

A temporary global hesitation to embrace the energy transition, spurred on primarily by resistance to the idea by the US, may provide short-term advantages for corporates in sectors such as coal, South African Presidential Climate Commission climate finance and innovation head Dipak Patel said during the 2025 Coal & Energy Transition Day, in Johannesburg, on July 23. Speaking as part of a panel, he suggested that it would be unwise for companies not to make use of this period to capitalise on available opportunities.
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Licensed electricity traders see Nersa rules process as opportunity to bolster certainty

Several licensed electricity traders canvassed by Engineering News have welcomed the decision by the regulator to initiate a process to finalise rules for domestic and cross-border trading and have also expressed an eagerness to participate in the process so that the outcome is fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory. The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) recently outlined a process and timeline for crafting a “fair and balanced framework for electricity traders”, with the intention of having the rules Gazetted by June next year.
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Speakers outline Eskom’s transition approach

State-owned power utility Eskom has adopted a “forward-looking” strategy that is designed to tackle the current pressing challenges in the electricity sector, while positioning the entity as a resilient and competitive energy leader, Eskom strategy and sustainability group executive Nontokozo Hadebe outlined during an address at the 2025 Coal and Energy Transition Day on July 23. She pointed out that Eskom is systematically improving disciplined execution of maintenance, and has recently returned about 794 MW of capacity to service, with about a 96% availability for supply, and reduced loadshedding, thereby improving the energy availability and security in the country.
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Eskom says standalone renewables unit could seek to tap market appetite for green electricity

Eskom group executive for strategy and sustainability Nontokoza Hadebe says the decision to establish a ‘GreenCo’ renewables business as a standalone subsidiary separated from Eskom Generation is to help facilitate partnerships, as well as to potentially tap the growing market appetite for green electricity. Speaking at Resources for Africa’s Coal & Energy Transition Day, Hadebe reiterated the State-owned utility’s aspiration to build 20 GW of renewable energy by 2035, 5 GW of which would arise from just energy transition-linked “repowering” initiatives at existing coal power station sites that are scheduled for decommissioning by 2030.
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Nuclear Energy Agency highlights rapid progress in development of SMRs globally

The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), which is an agency of the intergovernmental Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, has published the third edition of its “NEA Small Modular Reactor (SMR) Dashboard”. This shows that there has been notable progress in the development and deployment of SMRs around the world. “The overarching developments reflected in the “NEA SMR Dashboard” are clear: the strategic drivers for SMR deployment – rising electricity demand, including from data centres and expanding digital services, energy security imperatives and the national goals set by many countries to reduce carbon emissions – are intensifying,” reported NEA director-general William D Magwood IV. “SMRs are now a core part of the energy strategies in an increasing number of countries in all parts of the world.”
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