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Eskom’s R321bn capex plan has strong focus on grid, renewables and gas

State-owned electricity producer Eskom has unveiled details of a R321.72-billion capital expenditure (capex) plan for the coming five years, which includes plans for a material rise in grid-related investment, alongside new renewables and gas-to-power projects. In a presentation of its corporate plan to the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, Eskom indicated that R133-billion, or 41.2%, of its capital budget for the 2026 to 2030 financial years would be spent by the National Transmission Company (NTCSA).
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Saudi push into South Africa yields billions of dollars in deals

A flurry of meetings between Saudi Arabia and South Africa over the past year has culminated in discussions about or signed deals worth billions of dollars into Africa’s most industrialized country — and more corporate action is in the pipeline. The rush of deal-making is part of a broader Gulf drive into Africa, with the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in particular investing in mining, renewable energy and agriculture.
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Outlook for the local and global wind sectors clouded

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the changes in the local wind sector in recent years, the local and global outlook for the wind sector and the targets set by the newly separated Department of Electricity and Energy.
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US investment in Moz LNG projects pivotal moment – energy chamber

US president Donald Trump’s re-election represents a pivotal moment for Africa’s fossil fuel industry, energy advocacy group African Energy Chamber (AEC) said earlier this year. The Trump administration’s swift reapproval of a $4.7-billion loan from the US Export-Import Bank for TotalEnergies’ liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique set the tone for what could be a “transformative era” for Africa’s energy sector. 
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Bank invests in oil, gas projects as part of mobilisation targets

Not only does financial services provider Standard Bank prioritise renewable energy as part of its sustainable finance mobilisation targets, it also supports a broader range of activities that contribute to the decarbonisation of Africa’s economies. As such the bank continues to finance new oil and gas projects, provided they are designed and implemented with robust environmental and social risk controls.
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Newly minted electricity department outlines grid and renewables targets to lawmakers

The newly separated Department of Electricity and Energy (DEE) has outlined its vision and mission to lawmakers, listing among its priorities for the coming five years the procurement of 20 GW of new renewables capacity and the addition of 5 044 km of new powerlines. The department previously operated under the umbrella of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, but from April 1 began operating separately from the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, in line with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2024 proclamation to again separate the two departments.
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Rising role of South Africa’s private offtaker market underscored in latest Global Wind Report

The growing role of the private offtaker market in stimulating the South African wind sector has been highlighted in the latest ‘Global Wind Report’, which has been released by the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC). In a section on South Africa, authored by the South African Wind Energy Association, the report notes that at least 15 private offtake projects totalling 1 943 MW have been announced following the market reforms of 2022 enabling renewables projects of any size to proceed without a licence.
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Access to renewable electricity now key investment driver, global poll of execs shows

A new survey of 1 477 business executives from 15 countries, including South Africa, indicates that corporates now overwhelmingly view the transition from fossil fuels to renewable electricity as key to their future competitiveness, as well as a driver of investment decision-making. Commissioned by E3G, Beyond Fossil Fuels and We Mean Business Coalition, and conducted by research and advisory company Savanta, the poll also highlights that countries risk losing investment and jobs should their government’s fail to outline policies that signal their intention to transition to renewables.
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Need for clean energy, advent of SMRs driving global nuclear energy growth

UK-based international data analytics and consultancy company GlobalData has forecast that nuclear energy generation, worldwide, will see a compound annual growth rate of 2% over the period 2024 to 2035. In numbers, this will see an increase from a global total of 2 616 TWh last year to 3 410 TWh in 2035. Global installed nuclear capacity will grow from 395 GW last year to 494 GW by 2035. A key factor in this growth will be the roll-out of small modular reactors (SMRs). “The growing focus on …
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Transmission expansion delays strain South Africa’s power grid

South Africa is about two decades behind in implementing its transmission expansion plans, leaving its energy grid under mounting pressure, owing to ageing infrastructure, transmission constraints and a growing demand for stable power supply across key industries, says power solutions supplier Aggreko Energy Services sales head Johan Helberg. This shortfall has severely limited the effective integration of independent power producers (IPPs) and alternative energy sources, which he says has further exacerbated grid instability.
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