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Efficiency policies to mitigate the electricity crisis in South Africa, says SANEDI

The South African government is raising efficiency levels for high-consumption electrical products,  like street lights, in an effort to reduce the energy burden on the national grid, especially as State-owned utility Eskom continues to face constraints in supplying electricity. With experts recommending the country should brace for a protracted period of intermittent power cuts, or load-shedding, for at least another five years, the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (MRE) and the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) are developing minimum energy performance standards (MEPS) for streetlights.
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Ramaphosa says separated grid company will ‘promote purchase of lowest-cost electricity’

The creation of a separate State-owned transmission entity, as part of the restructuring of Eskom into three separate entities responsible for generation, transmission and distribution, has been held up by President Cyril Ramaphosa as key to promoting the purchase of the lowest-cost electricity for businesses and households. In his weekly newsletter, which is dedicated to the reforms under way across State-owned enterprise (SOEs), the President said that the transmission company, which is schedule for establishment by year-end as the Independent System and Market Operator (ITSMO), would be able to purchase power from a broader range of providers, both private and public.
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State gas companies move to exercise pre-emptive rights over Moz-SA pipeline

The State-owned gas companies of South Africa and Mozambique have announced that they have exercised their pre-emptive rights to acquire, for R4.15-billion, the 30% equity stake in the Republic of Mozambique Pipeline (Rompco) hitherto owned by Sasol. The announcement follows on from Sasol’s May 14 announcement of a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) – subject to the pre-emptive rights held by Central Energy Fund subsidiary iGAS and Empresa Nacional de Hidrocarbonetos subsidiary Companhia Mocambiçana de Gasoduto (CMG) – with a Reatile-led consortium.
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CT Lab to install 1 300 Otello edge devices for real-time power grid visibility

Stellenbosch technology company CT Lab will deploy 1 300 Otello edge computing devices on State-owned power utility Eskom’s grid to change how power is seen and managed on the grid, enabling full visibility of the power grid in real-time. Visibility is becoming a deciding factor in the development of the grid, says CT Lab CEO and lead designer Willie van Wyk.
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SAPVIA welcomes Italian investment in local solar PV inverter manufacturing capacity

Industry association the South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has welcomed the investment decision by Italian-based firm Enertronica Santerno to expand its manufacturing activities in South Africa.  The Italian firm, which has been an active player in South Africa over the past  ten years, will be investing up to R17-million to enhance its capacity to manufacture inverters for solar photovoltaic (PV) applications, including storage solutions, with a maximum initial production capacity of more than 500 MW a year, gradually ramping up to higher capacity targets.
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Dept refuses enviro authorisations for Karpowership SA projects

Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment’s decision to refuse to provider Karpowership SA environmental authorisations for its proposed powership projects; Karpowership’s response; and what this means for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
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Eskom to implement 1.5% basic wage increase, changes to employee benefits

State-owned power utility Eskom will implement a 1.5% basic wage increase with effect from July 1. Eskom says the offer is dependent on the efficiencies and savings realised from reviewing certain elements of employee benefits where there are excesses.
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Time billing solutions in battery storage

Energy storage is becoming a critical part of business operations and a vital element of the economy, particularly in the manufacturing sector, says solar energy company Blockpower director Kyle Bohnsack.
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Wind an energy storage game changer – association

Wind energy is important in driving potential demand for energy storage, says nonprofit organisation South African Wind and Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli.
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Company provides energy storage for hospital

Solar energy company SustainSolar has completed the supply of its battery energy storage system to the Cecilia Makiwane Hospital in East London, in the Eastern Cape.
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