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Digitalisation key to energy efficiency

Digitalisation is key to addressing the challenges faced in trying to implement energy efficiency initiatives for wastewater treatment plants and buildings, says South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) data and knowledge management programme project manager Teslim Mohammed Yusuf.
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New unit designed for efficiency

Industrial products provider, BMG’s new NORD DuoDrive unit, an integrated geared unit that combines the recently launched NORD IE5+ synchronous motor and a single-stage helical gear unit in one compact housing, has been designed for optimum system efficiency.
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Energy efficiency digital platform launched

Leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, Schneider Electric, launched its energy efficient EcoStruxure Automation Expert, its software-centric universal automation system, at the Hannover Messe 2021, which was held online last month.
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Long delay in dividend flows to renewables-linked community trusts impeding effectiveness

The long lag between the establishment of community trusts that own a portion of the independent power producer (IPP) projects procured through South Africa’s renewables procurement programme and the flow of dividend income into these trusts has been identified in a new research report as a major impediment to the effectiveness of these trusts. The report, produced by Intellidex for FirstRand, estimates the projected dividend flows from projects procured, to date, under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) will be about R27-billion over the 20-year life of the projects. On average, community trusts hold between 9% and 12% equity in these REIPPPP-linked facilities.
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IFC, Absa launch green loan for energy projects

International financial institution the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has provided financial services group Absa with a loan of up to $150-million to support the bank’s strategy to expand its climate finance business and help South Africa meet its greenhouse-gas (GHG) reduction targets. In South Africa, financial institutions are critical sources of climate finance, with commercial banks providing about 67% of the financing for renewable energy projects.
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Production starts at Total’s Zinia project in Angola

Production from the Zinia Phase 2 short-cycle project, which is connected to the existing Pazflor’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) unit in Angola, has started. The project is operated by petroleum refiner Total, which is the joint operator of Block 17 in Angola, together with the Angolan National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency.
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Indebted Eskom balks at power deal offered by Turkish generator

Eskom Holdings, South Africa’s State power utility, doesn’t want to buy electricity from the company that won most of a government emergency-power tender because it’s concerned about the cost and length of the contract, according to two people familiar with the situation. Meeting the terms of Karpowership’s 20-year deal would add pressure to Eskom’s already stretched finances and heighten its exposure to fossil fuels, said the people, requesting anonymity as the utility is yet to comment publicly. The company has a debt burden of R464-billion and is struggling to meet payments even with the help of State bailouts.
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Successful localisation programme requires consistent renewables procurement pipeline

To achieve a successful localisation programme with incremental local content thresholds as part of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), a consistent procurement pipeline needs be established, says industry association South Africa Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli. The stop-start nature of procurement, and latent bid windows, severely damaged the meaningful momentum, pre-2015, which established new manufacturing capacity within the wind and solar value chains in South Africa.
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Minerals Council encourages distributed generation for mining industry

The Minerals Council South Africa is encouraging the uptake of distributed generation (also called self-generation) of power in South Africa, especially considering that South Africa is facing an electricity supply gap. The impact of this is “huge”, Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter told delegates participating in the virtual Energy & Mines Africa conference.
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Ministerial determination sanctioning private power procurement would spur investment, clear …

The chairperson of the South African Independent Power Producer Association (SAIPPA) believes that the quickest and cheapest way to reduce, or eliminate, South Africa’s growth-sapping risk of load-shedding would be for Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe to issue a Ministerial determination catering for private-to-private electricity supply agreements. Through Section 34 of the Energy Regulation Act (ERA), the Minister, in consultation with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), is empowered to determine that new generation capacity is needed to ensure the continued uninterrupted supply of electricity.
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