Creamer Media’s Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Creamer Media Editor Terence Creamer about the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s concurrence with a Ministerial determination that paves the way for the resumption of regular procurement and the significance of Eskom having signalled its support for the Ministerial determination.
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The South African Renewable Energy Council (Sarec) expressed optimism on Wednesday that the long-awaited fifth bid window (BW5) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme could be fast-tracked in light of the energy regulator’s recent concurrence with a Ministerial determination opening the way for the procurement of 11 813 MW of new generation capacity. In a statement signed by chairperson Terence Govender, Sarec said the determination “came ahead of its initially anticipated date”, giving its members hope that the BW5 request for proposals (RFP) could be “expedited”.
The 33 MW Excelsior Wind Energy Facility, in the Western Cape, has been connected to South Africa’s load-shedding-prone national grid, with all 13 of its wind turbines having been successfully commissioned. The facility is believed to be the first Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme Bid Window 4 (BW 4) project in the Western Cape to achieve the milestone. The province has three BW 4 wind farms under construction and nine in total.
Paper and packaging producer Mpact has declared force majeure at its Springs paper mill in relation to a near-month-long power interruption, and as a consequence, not being able to produce. The mill has been without electricity supply from 18:00 on August 19, when an explosion and fire at the municipal substation in Ekurhuleni occurred.
Pan-African energy leasing company Solarise Africa has landed a further $10-million investment to drive Africa’s clean energy expansion.
The company’s Series B investment round welcomed French development finance institution Proparco, alongside existing investors, investment firm Energy Access Ventures (EAV) and electrification financing initiative EDFI ElectriFI.
The yearly Windaba conference will take place virtually this year on October 26 and 27.
The renewable energy sector and its stakeholders will also gather on the Windaba 2020 Virtual Marketplace platform to unpack the role of the industry in the energy transition for the decade ahead.
State-owned Eskom has been granted permission from the South African National Roads Agency for the temporary road closure of the N3 north and southbound, just after the N3 De Hoek Toll Plaza, from 10:00 to 13:00 on September 17, to dismantle and remove a decommissioned high-voltage transmission overhead power line crossing the highway. All three phase conductors will be removed sequentially.
The Matjhabeng local municipality, in the Free State, has agreed to hand over to State-owned power utility Eskom 139 farms belonging to the municipality as security for debt of R3.4-billion owed by the municipality to Eskom. The farms are valued at about R2.5-billion.
Local wind energy lobby organisation the South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) reports that, as South Africa continues to struggle with the crippling effects of prolonged load-shedding, recent indicators point to a “light at the end of the tunnel that is lit by renewable energy”.
As such, the organisation highlights that, within a short week, three key factors happened that will promote renewable energy, going forward.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has clarified that it is aiming to release bid documentation for the so-called fifth bid window (BW5) of the South Africa’s renewable-energy procurement programme in December, following receipt of the regulator’s concurrence with a Ministerial determination that clears the way for the resumption of procurement. The Section 34 Ministerial determination has not yet been formally published in the Government Gazette, but the DMRE indicated to Engineering News & Mining Weekly on Monday that it intended Gazetting the document “before the end of next week”, having received the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s concurrence on September 2.
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