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Final industrial masterplan for renewables expected by March

The South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is expected to be finalised for adoption before the end of March, following which it will become the country’s implementation plan for the industrialisation of the renewables value chain. Work is still under way to achieve consensus between labour, business, civil society and government on what the priority actions should be and a complete first draft of the document should be released early next year.
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Recovery plan under way at Tutuka power station – Eskom

Tutuka power station GM Sello Mametja is hopeful Eskom will be able to improve the energy availability factor (EAF) of the power station, near Standerton, Mpumalanga, above 70% by June next year. Mametja took over as GM of the power station nine months ago and told media during a site tour on November 18 that Tutuka was the worst-performing of Eskom’s power stations, with an EAF of only 34%.
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Abengoa completes sale of Xina Solar One to Engie

French multinational utility company Engie has completed the acquisition of Abengoa’s indirect stake in Xina Solar One. Following completion of the transaction, Engie now holds a 40% equity stake in the Xina Solar One 100 MW concentrated solar power (CSP) plant, as well as a 46% stake in the Xina Operations & Maintenance Company.
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Eskom beefs up security after suspicious incidents at Matimba and Lethabo

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter reports that overt and covert security is being beefed up in and around the utility’s power stations following suspicious incidents at Matimba and Lethabo on November 17 that are suspected of not being “entirely coincidental”. In a briefing on the state of the system, which descended into load-shedding again on Wednesday, De Ruyter emphasised that he was typically wary off attributing to “malice what could be explained by incompetence”.
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South Africa urges careful planning for end of coal

South Africa’s energy department has said it will start preparing for the end of coal-for-power use in the country but cautioned that a retreat from the dirtiest fossil fuel must take account of the impact on the economy and the people who depend on it for a living. In a presentation to a small group of business, government and research representatives on November 15, the department said it plans to set up a Just Energy Transition unit to help deliver an outcome “which delivers social justice,” according to a copy of it seen by Bloomberg. While the department declined to immediately comment on the presentation, four people with knowledge of it confirmed its veracity.
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Not a ‘finance COP’, but ‘solid work programme’ in place for defining new …

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy says that, although COP26 was not the ‘finance COP’ hoped for ahead of the Glasgow meeting, it nevertheless did yield “a good, solid work programme” for defining the post-2025 finance goal and for ensuring that the prevailing $100-billion climate finance commitment is in fact implemented. Ahead of the gathering, South Africa prioritised the securing of an ambitious finance goal and had even suggested that the figure pledged by developed countries to developing countries be progressively increased to $750-billion by 2030.
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Mantashe sued over plans to build new coal power plants

South Africa’s energy regulator and energy minister have been sued by environmental activists over national plans to allow the construction of new coal-fired power plants. Plans for the construction of 1 500 megawatts of coal-fired generation capacity are included in the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity and a ministerial determination passed on September 25 last year.
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UK Climate Investments, Norfund invest in South African JV to develop renewable assets

Macquarie-managed UK Climate Investments (UKCI) and Norfund are financing a joint venture (JV) between H1 Holdings and Pele Green Energy to fund a 40% equity participation in a 700 MW portfolio of onshore wind farms. Both partners will invest alongside Enel Green Power in one of South Africa’s largest renewable energy equity deals valued at about $100-million.
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Another round of load-shedding declared this this week

Eskom has confirmed that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from 14:00 on Wednesday November 17, until 5:00 on Saturday November 20. CEO Andre de Ruyter announced the latest round of load-shedding at the tail-end of a briefing initially called to warn of possible rotational power cuts, owing to the a surge in unplanned outages to 14 444 MW, while planned maintenance was being performed on units with a combined capacity of 4 100 MW.
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Green hydrogen could compete with gray in a decade, Engie says

Green hydrogen, a clean energy source made from water and renewable power, could become competitive in a decade, according to French utility Engie. That relies on Europe setting up the necessary regulatory framework to drive up demand and slash costs, Sebastien Arbola, the company’s head of thermal generation and energy supply, said Tuesday in Paris. The “tipping point” for renewable hydrogen to compete with gray hydrogen — which is made from methane and emits carbon — could be in 2030-2035, he said.
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