National industry support programme The National Cleaner Production Centre South Africa (NCPC-SA) emphasises that more concerted efforts must be taken to help industries become more resource-efficient, environmentally responsible and competitive in the global market. It stresses the importance of promoting resource efficiency and cleaner production practices that minimise resource use, reduce waste and lower emissions in industrial processes.
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Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramakgopa is confident that regulations permitting private sector players to participate in the electricity transmission space will be finalised by the first quarter of next year. Speaking at the Matla-Urja Energy Conference, in Johannesburg, on November 28, he said these electricity reforms were important to redefine the future energy landscape in the country.
Oil and gas company Shell South Africa’s Alberton depot is pursuing sustainability through two projects, mainly, solar and battery power, and capacitation for biofuels, the company outlined during a media tour of the facility this week. The Alberton depot is a storage and handling terminal for petrol, diesel, and some additives. Employees range between 60 and 100, depending on any project work that is on site, Shell Alberton terminal manager Fikile Nxumalo told Engineering News.
South African National Energy Development Institute CEO Dr Titus Mathe has confirmed that a report containing a remodelled Integrated Resource Plan for 2024 (IRP2024) and incorporating stakeholder comments will be released into the public domain before it is sent to Cabinet for its approval by end-March. Mathe is chairing a committee set up to oversee a review of the much-criticised draft IRP2023.
Indian power generation company NTPC has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with South African State-owned utility Eskom to exchange knowledge and collaborate on research and development (R&D), among other things. The signing of the MoU took place at the Matla-Urja Energy Conference, in Johannesburg, on November 28.
Power utility Eskom has published a notice of the possible disconnection of bulk electricity supply to Tokologo local municipality, in the Free State, which will result in bulk electricity supply to Boshof, Seretse, Dealesville and Hertzogville being interrupted for a set number of hours each day from January 31. The utility says the municipality currently owes it R328.7-million, excluding the current account of a further R3.68-million that became due and payable on November 20, and that the last payment it received from the municipality was R150 000 in October 2021.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has again urged South Africa to implement its economic reforms “ambitiously”, while arguing for priority to be given to reforms in the electricity and logistics sectors that pose binding constraints to higher growth. An IMF staff mission visited South Africa from November 11 to 25 for the 2024 Article IV annual consultation, and a report was published on November 26 that included an IMF growth forecast of 1.1% for this year and 1.5% for 2025.
Power utility Eskom says it has successfully completed its prepaid meter Key Revision Number (KRN) rollover project, but has set a new deadline of December 13 to assist paying customers who are still experiencing challenges and an estimated 1.7-million zero buyers that are yet to complete the upgrade. Eskom points out that it started off with a customer base of 6.91-million prepaid customers, while a data cleaning exercise fully updated the incomplete details of 341 000 customers, taking the customer base to 7.25-million.
State-owned power utility Eskom has welcomed the decision by international ratings agency S&P Global Ratings to upgrade Eskom’s ‘B’ long-term global-scale foreign and local currency ratings to positive from stable. The ratings agency also affirmed Eskom’s ‘B’ issue rating on the group’s senior unsecured debt and the ‘BB-’ foreign currency issue ratings on the government guaranteed debt.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has reiterated its aim of securing Cabinet approval for a new Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity by the end of March after releasing a remodelled draft plan on Tuesday. Dubbed IRP2024, the updated plan includes a reference case and scenarios that differ materially from those contained in the draft IRP2023 released in January, leading to some calls for more time for consultations.
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