Energy and automation company Schneider Electric launched its first Innovation Hub in Africa at its new head office in Midrand, Gauteng. The Innovation Hub now forms part of Schneider Electric’s global network of over 40 registered Innovation Hubs and brings to life the company’s vision of sustainability and digitalisation for customers, partners and stakeholders across the continent.
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Canada-listed Africa Energy Corp is aiming to start production from South Africa’s largest gas discovery by 2033, its CEO said on Tuesday, as it forges ahead with a project former operator TotalEnergies walked away from. The company is awaiting regulatory approval for a reworked environmental authorisation to survey Block 11B/12B off South Africa’s southern coast.
The UK government announced on Tuesday that Rolls-Royce SMR, a subsidiary of the UK-based global power and propulsion systems group Rolls-Royce, has been selected as the preferred bidder for the country’s small modular nuclear reactor (SMR) programme. The UK SMR programme was being implemented by Great British Energy – Nuclear (previously Great British Nuclear), a State-owned company, and would receive State funding of more than £2.5-billion over the next four years. “Great British Energy – Nuclear has run a rigorous competition and will now work with the preferred bidder Rolls-Royce SMR to build the country’s first-ever [SMRs] – creating thousands of jobs and growing our regional economies while strengthening our energy security,” highlighted UK Energy and Net-Zero Secretary (Cabinet Minister) Ed Miliband.
Telecommunications giant Vodacom Group has reached a major decarbonisation milestone – 100% of its purchased electricity is now from renewable sources. The group has several on-site renewable power installations, procures electricity through renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) and purchases renewable energy certificates (RECs).
The World Bank has approved a $1.5-billion loan to support structural reforms aimed at boosting South Africa’s infrastructure. The Washington-based lender said in a statement the operation will address the nation’s challenges of low growth and high unemployment by easing constraints in its energy and freight transport sectors.
South African independent power producer (IPP) Mulilo has emerged as a leading battery storage project sponsor following three public procurement bidding rounds. It is participating in 12 of the 18 projects awarded, which together have a capacity of 1 134 MWh/4 536 MWh, representing a market share of 65%. The Cape Town-based IPP has taken the lead in nine of the projects in the North West, Free State and Gauteng provinces, and is partnering with EDF in three Northern Cape projects that are currently under construction and have a capacity of 257 MW/1 028 MWh.
European renewable energy infrastructure asset owner and operator Greencoat Renewables (GRP) officially listed on the AltX of the JSE on June 9. This is a secondary listing for the company, which is already listed on the LSE’s Aim and the Euronext Growth Market in Dublin.
The South African government has provided an update on the timelines for the launch of the inaugural procurement of independent transmission projects (ITPs), as well as additional insight into the design of the so-called Credit Guarantee Vehicle (CGV) being set up to de-risk the programme for investors and government itself. In a joint statement, the Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) and the National Treasury announced that the prequalification tender, or request for qualifications (RFQ), would be issued by the end of July to “shortlist capable, experienced, and financially sound bidders to proceed to the next stage of the ITP procurement process”.
South Africa’s Independent Power Producer Office (IPPO) has confirmed that it is undertaking a comprehensive review of the country’s public procurement framework for independent power producers (IPPs), which has hitherto been dominated by renewable energy. The model was once lauded internationally but is currently facing significant headwinds, with analysis by the University of Cape Town’s (UCT’s) Power Futures Lab showing that of the 14 800 MW tendered since 2020, only 7 343 MW has been awarded, while less than 20% has reached financial close.
The indication by State-owned utility Eskom that virtual wheeling is not yet available to licensed electricity traders is “surprising and disappointing”, EE Business Intelligence MD Chris Yelland tells Engineering News. The company held a webinar about virtual wheeling on June 5, during which Eskom Distribution strategy development senior manager Mutenda Tshipala made this announcement.
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