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Eskom’s hard-won recovery tested by cities owing billions

A turnaround in the finances of South Africa’s Eskom Holdings has won praise from investors but they are keeping their eyes on one issue — the company’s struggle to recoup about R95-billion in unpaid electricity bills from cities and towns across the country. It’s a debt pile that continues to mount as municipalities themselves fall behind in collecting revenue from customers. With 95.4-billion owed as of November, the arrears could jeopardise Eskom’s plans to spin off its distribution unit, a move that it says is key to boosting efficiency and securing investment.
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Regulatory barriers, limited charging networks stall EV progress despite tax incentive

Electric vehicle (EV) charging station company Zero Carbon Charge (Charge) has renewed calls for more policy support to address key barriers to electric vehicle (EV) adoption in South Africa, highlighting the need for sustainable charging infrastructure and regulatory reforms.

While Charge has welcomed recent government initiatives, such as the 150% tax incentive for electric- and hydrogen-powered vehicle manufacturers, the organisation stresses that these measures alone are insufficient to fast-track EV adoption.

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Battery minerals demand expected to outpace supply – McKinsey

Demand for battery raw materials will outpace base-case supply for certain materials, requiring additional investment and leading to fear of shortages and price volatility, among other challenges, strategy and management consulting company McKinsey projects. The fast-growing demand for batteries, for example from the automotive and energy sectors, has caused unprecedented levels of investment by raw materials producers and battery manufacturers.
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Municipal debt piles pressure on Eskom’s restructuring efforts

Billions of rand that South African municipalities owe Eskom are hindering the State-owned power utility’s plan to restructure and separate its distribution unit, according to chairperson Mteto Nyati. South Africa’s municipalities owed Eskom R95.4-billion by November as they struggle to collect revenue from customers and available funds are sometimes misappropriated after years of mismanagement.
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Opinion: Saving jobs by building powerlines – why the grid expansion matters for the local …

In this opinion article, Alboricah Rathupetsane of Stellenbosch University’s Centre for Sustainability Transitions argues that South Africa’s Transmission Development Plan presents an industrialisation opportunity.
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Namibia seeks investment in nuclear power from China

Namibia, one of the world’s largest uranium producers, is seeking investment from China in nuclear power to boost its role in the global push to clean energy.

“We want to add value to our uranium for the peaceful development of nuclear energy,” President Nangolo Mbumba said Monday during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is on a week-long visit to Africa.

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Sturdee and Old Mutual acquire majority stake in Namibia’s largest solar PV plant

Old Mutual Investment Group Namibia (OMIGNAM), Namibia’s largest asset manager, has partnered with renewable energy company Sturdee Energy Namibia and Namibian financial services company IJG to acquire a 51% stake in Alten Solar Power (Hardap), the biggest grid-tied solar PV power plant in Namibia. The shareholding, acquired from Alten RE Developments Africa , represents a milestone in expanding Namibia’s secondary market for renewable energy projects. In a joint statement on December 20, Sturdee and Old Mutual emphasised that the transaction aligned institutional investors, including funds co-managed by Old Mutual and IJG, with Namibia’s renewable energy and climate change goals. Among these funds is the Namibian Infrastructure Equity Investment Fund Trust, with the Government Institutions Pension Fund as a main investor.
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Nersa to announce decision on Eskom MYPD6 by month-end

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has said that its evaluation of  State-owned utility Eskom’s sixth multi-year price determination (MYPD6) revenue application is in progress, with a final decision expected by the end of January. The regulator attributed the timeline to an extended public hearing period, the volume of information received and the need for further clarification on certain aspects of the application.
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Ministry unpacks latest renewable energy preferred bidder awards

The Ministry of Electricity and Energy has unveiled the preferred bidders for Bid Window 7 (BW 7) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), naming eight preferred bidders for projects with a combined contracted capacity of 1 760 MW.

Infinity Power Holding secured six projects, while Mulilo Renewable Project Developments and Scatec Solar Africa each won one. The projects will be located in Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and the Free State, representing investment of R31.4-billion.

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Zimbabwe invites power-storage bids to ease supply crisis

Zimbabwe’s power-transmission company has invited bids for companies to install energy-storage units as part of measures to ease crippling energy shortages.

Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission & Distribution Co. wants battery-storage units installed on four sites that will provide at least three hours of 600 MW each in peak hours, it said in a statement in a government notice.

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