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Sasol plots new route to emission goal after refocusing on coal

Sasol CEO Simon Baloyi is seeking a new path for South Africa’s second-largest polluter to reach its emissions target after doubling down on coal to run its fuel and chemicals production. The Johannesburg-based company plans to boost the use of renewable energy to counter the growing dependence on coal, Baloyi said. The firm has faced increasing pressure to lower greenhouse gases – mainly from the production process at its Secunda plant, the world’s biggest single site for emissions.
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Eskom now targeting full year loadshedding-free milestone as it breaches 300-day mark

Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo says the utility is focussed on ensuring that South Africa achieves a full year without loadshedding at midnight on March 26, after the 300-day milestone was breached on January 21 – one that was last achieved in June 2018. Nxumalo, who has been leading the Generation Recovery Plan since March 2023 that is credited for facilitating a reduction in unplanned breakdowns, attributed the turnaround to Eskom’s 40 000 employees.
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Mulilo gears up for big year of execution as it accelerates transition to integrated IPP

With several new renewables and battery storage projects under construction or being advanced to financial close, 2025 is poised to be a significant year in Mulilo’s ongoing transition from an entrepreneurial developer, which took minority stakes in projects, to a leading South African integrated independent power producer (IPP). Towards the tail-end of last year, the Cape Town-headquartered company was awarded five projects during the second bid window of South Africa’s battery storage procurement programme, as well as a 240 MW solar PV project under South Africa’s seventh renewables bid window. Earlier, it concluded a private power purchase agreement (PPA) with Air Products South Africa for a 75 MW solar PV project in the Northern Cape.
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Global gas markets set to remain tight in 2025 – IEA

Global natural gas markets reached an all-time high last year and are set to remain tight in 2025 despite an ongoing rebalancing following the supply shock of 2022/23, the International Energy Agency (IEA) states. In 2024, global gas demand rose by 2.8%, or 115-billion cubic metres, which was well above the 2% average growth rate between 2010 and 2020. At the same time, below-average growth in liquefied natural gas (LNG) output kept supply tight, while extreme weather events added to market strains.
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Ramokgopa to showcase South Africa’s energy investment prospects at Davos

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that South Africa’s energy market reforms and investment opportunities will be showcased at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this week. In a statement, the Minister said that the energy delegation would share the reforms that have taken shape in the electricity sector to end loadshedding and which have modernised the electricity market in a way that encourages private sector participation and competition.
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Nordex appoints Robert Timmers as MD for South Africa

Onshore wind energy company Nordex Group has appointed Robert Timmers as the new MD for Nordex Energy South Africa (NESA). He returns to South Africa after successfully leading Nordex Australia as MD and overseeing the supply and commissioning of a 1 GW wind farm project, which is the largest wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere.
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Association unpacks vast solar, storage advancements in Africa

Rwanda-based Africa Solar Industry Association (Afsia) notes in its latest ‘Africa Solar Outlook’ report that between 400 GW and 600 GW of solar capacity was installed, globally, in 2024, marking a 44% year-on-year increase and a new record year for solar installations.

Afsia projects there to be 2 000 GW of installed solar across the world.

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Eskom appoints renewables executive as it targets initial 2 GW by 2026

Eskom has appointed Exxaro’s Rivoningo Mnisi as its new group executive for renewables in line with the coal-dominant utility’s stated goal of becoming a “significant player” in the renewable energy sector. Group CEO Dan Marokane said in a statement that Mnisi would focus on the work already in progress for an executable initial pipeline of at least 2 GW of clean energy projects by 2026.
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World Bank sets terms for Africa to win $40bn in power finance

The World Bank and African Development Bank (AfDB) laid out the terms African nations will need to meet to win $40-billion in finance to tackle the continent’s electricity crisis. The two multilateral lenders are backing a program called Mission 300 that aims to bring electricity to 300-million Africans by 2030 with a pledge of $30-billion in finance, on top of which they expect $10-billion from private institutions.
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Fiscal constraints, coal dependency hamper energy transition

South Africa’s renewable-energy ambitions face significant challenges as fiscal constraints, a persistent reliance on coal, and gaps in technological and workforce readiness slow progress, says electromechanical equipment manufacturer Actom group business development executive Mamiki Matlawa. Speaking on the energy outlook for 2025 and beyond, she emphasised that South Africa’s transition to cleaner energy hinges on innovative engineering, expanded international collaboration and a skilled workforce capable of meeting the demands of a growing renewables sector.
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