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Utilities that can provide services will thrive in a disrupted energy sector

Municipal utilities and distributors will have to “provide more than one product” and will have to develop new services and business models to effectively serve the market, such as by reselling and wheeling power between producers and consumers. These are some of the views presented during the first in a series of webinars jointly hosted by municipal organisation the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities (AMEU) and industry organisation the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) on August 10 to prepare South Africa’s energy utilities for the changes and disruptions, experienced worldwide, in the energy industry.
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WindAc Africa entries open for latest developments in wind energy sector

The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is inviting renewable energy researchers to showcase the latest developments in wind power at its yearly wind energy academic conference WindAc Africa.

To be hosted from October 11 to 13 at the Cape Town International Convention Centre, the fifth edition of WindAc Africa recognises the pivotal role that wind energy research and technology development plays in the renewable energy sector, as it leads the way for advancement and progress, which is especially essential at a time when South Africa is looking to renewables to meet the growing demand for clean energy supply.

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Stage 2 load-shedding may be on the cards for later today

Stage 2 load-shedding might be required at short notice from 16:00 to midnight on Wednesday. Breakdowns at the Majuba, Tutuka and Kriel power stations have put a severe strain on the power generation system, Eskom said.
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USTDA expects to support project preparation for South Africa’s just energy transition

US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) believes it is well positioned to feed projects into the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP), which was established between South Africa and several developed countries, including the US, in 2020, and which is expected to progress towards implementation later this year. The JETP includes an initial offer of $8.5-billion – to be provided by France, Germany, the US, the UK and the European Union – to help fund South Africa’s transition from coal to renewables, while protecting workers and communities reliant on the coal value chain.
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Polls show German public support for operating nuclear reactors for longer than planned

Two separate opinion polls undertaken in Germany have both shown that the greater number of those polled want the life of the country’s three remaining nuclear power reactors to be extended, “World Nuclear News” has pointed out. The three reactors are currently scheduled to be shut down at the end of this year, for political and not technical reasons. Following the tsunami-triggered nuclear accident at Fukushima Daiichi in Japan in March 2011, the German government of then Chancellor Angela Merkel passed legislation, later that same year, to phase out all nuclear power in the country by the end of this year (2022). At that time, Germany had 14 operating nuclear power reactors, providing some 25% of the country’s electricity.
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Eskom makes case for major overhaul of retail tariff structure in submission to regulator

Eskom has submitted a tariff restructuring application to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in which the utility is proposing a major overhaul of the prevailing retail tariff structure, including a separation of energy, network and service charges and the introduction of dynamic time-of-use pricing. The application was submitted on August 5 and Eskom is requesting that it be implemented on April 1 next year, together with any adjustments to the tariff rate arising from the regulator’s parallel adjudication of its latest multiyear price determination (MYPD) application,
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Eskom confirms restart of Koeberg Unit 2 after delays

State-owned electricity utility Eskom has confirmed that Unit 2 at the Koeberg nuclear power station was returned to service at 20:24 on Sunday, August 7. “The unit is currently loading and will require about ten days to reach full output,” spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha confirmed in an emailed response to an Engineering News enquiry.
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Eskom to implement power cuts over weekend

 South Africa’s Eskom said it would implement “Stage 2” power cuts between 1600 and 2400 local time (1400 and 2200 GMT) on Saturday and Sunday due to several generating units breaking down and delays returning others to service. The struggling state-owned company resumed power cuts on Wednesday after a pause of 11 days, and implemented them again on Thursday and Friday.
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City Power replacing all Joburg streetlights with LEDs

The project by City of Johannesburg (CoJ) utility City Power to retrofit all of Johannesburg’s streetlights with light-emitting diode (LED) technology is gathering pace, providing energy saving and environment-friendly light, CoJ Environment and Infrastructure Services Department MMC Michael Sun says. “I’m delighted that this pilot project is beginning to improve the city of gold’s energy position and positively impact the lives of our residents,” he comments.
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Nersa announces timelines for Eskom’s MYPD5 application

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) announces that on July 29, the Energy Regulator approved the publication of a consultation paper and timelines to process State-owned utility Eskom’s Fifth Multi-Year Price Determination (MYPD5) revenue application for the 2023/24 financial year.
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