Zambian geothermal explorer Kalahari GeoEnergy’s ongoing feasibility study has modelled an initial power capacity of between 5 MW and 7 MW on the shallow outflow reservoir within the Bwanda section of the Bweengwa river geothermal resource area. The feasibility study is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.
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Grid and off-grid distributed energy developer PowerGen is partnering with CrossBoundary Energy Access (CBEA), Oikocredit, Triodos Investment Management, and EDFI ElectriFI to electrify the homes of 55 000 people in rural Nigeria. The project is supported by grant funding from the World Bank and the Nigeria Rural Electrification Agency’s Nigeria Electrification Project, which provides a fixed grant for each customer connected.
The eThekwini municipality, which has been badly affected by recent deadly rioting and looting, is pushing ahead with its electricity procurement plans and has issued a request for information (RFI) as part of preparations for the procurement of 400 MW of new generation capacity from independent power producers (IPPs). The RFI is in line with the city-region’s recently adopted Energy Transition Policy, encompassing the eThekwini Integrated Resource Plan, which outlines a phased transition to it sourcing 40% of its electricity from renewable-energy sources by 2030, and increasing that to 100% by 2050.
In this opinion article, South African Institute of International Affairs’ Isabel Bosman argues that, despite it pitfalls, nuclear is still an avenue worth exploring to address sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity supply deficit.
Electronics manufacturer LG Electronics has announced its commitment to transition completely to renewable energy by 2050.
The announcement, made in LG’s sustainability report, follows an earlier promise to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 through its Zero Carbon 2030 initiative, in which the company pledged to reduce carbon emissions in the production stage to 50% of its 2017 baseline.
As role-players in South Africa’s renewable energy sector gear up to make submissions in Bid Window 5 (BW 5) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) and the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) have hosted a capacity-building webinar to get insights from sector heads and thought leaders.
The deadline to submit applications for BW 5 close on August 4.
The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) is optimistic that the decision to increase the licence-exemption threshold for distributed-generation facilities from 1 MW to 100 MW will support a rapid increase in the deployment of larger-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, with some 500 MW of such capacity having been installed last year even ahead of the proposed reform. Spokesperson Maloba Tshehla estimates that about 20% of the new distributed-generation capacity installed last year arose from residential systems, with the commercial and industrial segment having contributed the bulk of the new rooftop capacity introduced.
Every year, the now completed Oyster Bay wind farm will generate over 568 GWh and prevent 590 000 t of carbon dioxide (CO²) from being emitted into the atmosphere. The project brings the number of operational Enel Green Power South Africa wind and solar sites in South Africa to nine, with an overall installed capacity of over 800 MW.
A new study on energy efficient lighting in South Africa will be undertaken as part of the South African-German Energy Programme (Sagen), which includes the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The study will start in a week or two and will provide a situation analysis, gap analysis, future outlook and recommendations within three to four months, says German development agency GIZ Sagen head of secretariat Andreas Betz.
The Western Cape provincial government is currently evaluating responses to a request for information (RFI) issued by the Department of Economic Development and Tourism to assess the potential for renewable-energy projects in six municipalities included as part of its Municipal Energy Resilience (MER) project. Through MER the provincial government aims to provide support and capacity building to enable the Drakenstein, Mossel Bay, Overstrand, Saldanha Bay, Stellenbosch and Swartland municipalities to implement renewable-energy projects that will bolster energy security and affordability and support environmental sustainability, as well as economic development and growth.
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