A remodelled Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) for electricity will be released to the public next week and is expected to deviate materially from the heavily criticised draft IRP2023, which was published for public comment in January. Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the revamped document has taken account of changes in the electricity supply industry since the publication of the draft IRP2023, as well as the 4 338 stakeholder comments received on the document, including 136 “substantive” comments.
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Zimbabwe’s decision to adopt tariffs that reflect costs has sparked a wave of investments in the energy sector that will help ease its power crisis. Since the switch in December last year, energy investments have sharply increased with 3 000 MW of projects currently under development, according to Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority chairperson Sydney Gata.
Namibia’s state-owned electricity utility plans to raise $450-million by selling bonds in the country and raising development bank loans to help the southwest African nation boost power generation. Namibia Power Corp. said it has signed loan agreements totaling €166-million ($175-million) with KfW and Agence Francaise de Developpement, the development banks of Germany and France, and is working on a loan of an unspecified size from the World Bank.
It is imperative that South Africa and industry decarbonises and, with the transition towards more sustainable forms of energy already occurring, stakeholders should focus on how the transition is implemented in a just manner at the pace that is required, and the steps and strategies this would entail. This was highlighted by Seriti Resources Group CEO Mike Teke, delivering the keynote address during the first day of the C&I Solar+Storage Summit, being held this week in Sandton.
Property fund Old Mutual Real Estate Holding Company (OMREHC) has entered into an energy supply agreement with commercial and industrial renewable energy company NOA Group Trading to provide electricity for its property portfolio. The wheeling transaction will deliver more than 90% renewable energy penetration, thereby enhancing OMREHC’s renewable energy strategy, which is aimed at decarbonising and reducing energy costs through this bespoke offering of blended solar PV and wind energy.
Two more battery storage projects selected as preferred bids under South Africa’s first public procurement bid window (BW1) for the technology have achieved commercial close. The projects have a combined investment value of R4.7-billion and increase to 360 MW/1 440 MWh the amount of utility-scale storage capacity to have reached the milestone after two other projects reached financial close in mid-October.
A plunge in water levels at the world’s largest man-made reservoir, which has left Zambia and Zimbabwe without power for hours, shows why they need to diversify their energy sources, according to a top official. “The over-dependence on hydropower has exposed the vulnerability of the energy mix,” Zambia’s Energy Minister Makozo Chikote said. “This has been a wake-up call that has taught us to start thinking of alternative sources,” he said at an energy summit Monday held in the resort city of Victoria Falls.
State-owned power utility Eskom is once again urging all prepaid electricity customers to update their meters immediately to avoid an unexpected loss of electricity after the deadline of November 24. It is critical that all customers, including those who have not bought electricity in the past six months or more, to buy electricity tokens from authorised vendors by November 24 to prevent the meter from becoming inoperable, losing power and incurring replacement costs, says Eskom Distribution group executive Monde Bala.
The issues of electricity affordability and Eskom’s inefficiencies emerged as recurring themes as the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) kicked off nationwide public hearings in Cape Town on Monday into the utility’s latest revenue application. Through its sixth multiyear price determination (MYPD6) submission, Eskom is requesting an increase in its allowable revenue to R446-billion in 2025/26, R495-billion in 2026/27 and R536-billion in 2027/28.
Industry organisation the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has made a presentation to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy in which it called for solar investment incentives that offer tax benefits and grants for installations, specifically targeting middle-income households. “We believe a national small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) framework will help standardise system registration and compliance across municipalities,” said SAPVIA CEO Dr Rethabile Melamu.
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