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Operation Vulindlela ‘close to resolving’ debate on easing path for distributed power projects

Deputy Finance Minister David Masondo reports that Operation Vulindlela is close to resolving an ongoing policy discussion within government on the reforms needed to increase electricity supply “by allowing the private sector to invest more freely in its own generation”. Delivering his Budget Vote speech on Thursday, Masondo again described the shortage of electricity as “the single biggest threat to our economic recovery, apart from Covid-19”.
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Sustainable construction ethos prioritised by manufacturer

Cement additive manufacturing company CHRYSO Southern Africa has installed a solar electricity generating system at its Jet Park manufacturing facility, in Gauteng; this forms part of the company’s efforts to lower its carbon footprint. The installation was completed in January and consists of 393 solar panels with a capacity of 400 W each. The panels can collectively generate 157 kWp through five 27.6 K inverters. 
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Numsa, NUM says Eskom fails to ‘engage meaningfully’ in wage negotiations

Labour unions the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) and the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) on May 20 said State-owned power utility Eskom’s management team had refused to “engage meaningfully” in ongoing wage negotiations. In a joint statement, the unions said Eskom was attempting to “frustrate” the process.
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Energy efficiency financing must be scaled up to unlock opportunities

There is considerable opportunity and potential to be unlocked in energy efficiency projects in South Africa, but more needs to be done with regard to financial solutions to catalyse a take up of opportunities, speakers said during a webinar hosted by industry organisation the South African Energy Efficiency Confederation on May 20. Carbon Trust Southern Africa head Benjamin Curnier said the organisation was working with the South African National Energy Development Institute and the Department of Minerals Resources and Energy, along with the World Bank, to see what kind of financial interventions could be deployed in the market to drive energy efficiency.
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New research shows South Africa well-placed to export ‘green iron’ to EU

Initial research conducted for the Deep Decarbonisation Pathways (DDP) project in collaboration with the National Business Initiative (NBI) indicates that there is an emerging opportunity for South Africa to produce so-called “green iron” for export to international steelmakers seeking to transition away from the use of carbon-intensive coking coal in the production of the basic material. The green-iron research forms part of a broader initiative, involving NBI, Business Unity South Africa and the Boston Consulting Group, to develop decarbonisation pathways for domestic industry that could also support the country’s proposed “just transition” to a more climate-resilient economy.
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Shoprite to expand solar-powered refrigeration fleet by 39 trucks

The Shoprite Group will, by the end of June, have added 39 solar-powered refrigerated rigid trucks to its existing solar-powered fleet of 749 trailers, says group sustainability manager Sanjeev Raghubir. “It’s the first time we are adding solar-power nitrogen refrigerated rigid trucks to our fleet. It is also a first for Africa.”
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Judge to rule after South Africa sued over Sasol, Eskom pollution

A judge is set to rule after the first ever case filed against the government over its alleged failure to crack down on air pollution emitted by power plants operated by Eskom Holdings and refineries owned by Sasol. The case was filed in the Pretoria High Court by groundWork, an environmental-rights organization, and the Vukani Environmental Justice Movement in Action in 2019 and was heard by Judge Colleen Collis this week. The respondents in the case include President Cyril Ramaphosa, Environment Minister Barbara Creecy and provincial officials.
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Africa’s Financial capital sets 35% renewable energy target

Johannesburg, Africa’s dominant financial center, wants to meet 35% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and will seek proposals for privately supplied power by August. South Africa’s biggest city, with a population of over 5 million people, is looking for its own power suppliers after the government last year said municipalities could buy electricity from companies other than state power utility Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd.
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Africa’s top geothermal utility seeks $2bn to boost output

Kenya Electricity Generating Co, Africa’s geothermal pioneer, plans to raise $1.95-billion to build new, and upgrade existing plants in a bid to almost double its power output from the renewable fuel. KenGen, as the Kenyan State-owned company is known, plans to add 651 MW from underground steam in the next five years, said Cyrus Karingithi, an assistant manager for resource development and infrastructure. Most of the funds will be sought from development financiers, Karingithi said in an interview on Tuesday at a geothermal field located about 120 km northwest of the capital Nairobi.
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Renewable energy uptake on the rise in South Africa, says Enel Green Power

Renewable energy company Enel Green Power South Africa country manager William Price comments that, despite the delays experienced with the procurement of capacity under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), he is not surprised by the country’s continuous project development in the renewable energy space. He notes that this is driven by high utility price increases, the continuation of load-shedding and the ever-increasing demand for energy.
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