The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) was outdated, and regulation changes were needed to bring it in line with current trends, the only respondent to public hearings into gold miner Gold Fields’ application to build a 40 MW solar plant near its mine in Westonaria said on Thursday. Brian Day, of Today Innovation, said at the public hearing that he supported power plant licences, such as the one applied for by Gold Fields. “I fully support the applicant, and anyone else who wants to generate electricity for a private client to be issued with the requisite generation licence by Nersa.”
Posts
The South African Cabinet announced on Friday that, at its Wednesday virtual meeting, it had ratified the appointment of Loyiso Tyabashe as the new group CEO for the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa).
He holds a MSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cape Town and started his career as an engineer in the national electricity utility Eskom in 2000.
Sasol is still mulling over whether or not to proceed with a rights issue to help it deal with its debt burden. Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses this and the ‘Sasol 2.0’ transformation programme.
In response to market requirements for a stationary quality genset (generator set), power solutions provider HIMOINSA launched the new HS stationary genset range in October. HIMOINSA Southern Africa business development director Matthew Bell explains that the design of the range resulted in the removal of unnecessary components for a stationary application.
Bigger is not always better when considering generators (gensets) and standby power, and it is vital that site-specific power requirements and conditions are taken into account during the design phase of these power supply products, says local manufacturer Zest WEG.
The Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa (FMCSA) has kicked off a 13.5 MW, R135-million solar-energy project at its Silverton assembly plant, in Pretoria. The project forms part of a larger programme to develop an integrated renewable- energy solution for the facility, with the aim to be entirely green and energy self-sufficient by 2024.
Investment in energy efficiency worldwide is on course to fall by 9% in 2020, the International Energy Agency (IEA) forecasts, warning that the Covid-induced slump threatens international climate goals. The agency’s ‘Energy Efficiency 2020’ report estimates that global primary energy intensity will improve by less than 1% this year, its weakest rate in a decade and well below the level of progress needed to meet climate, pollution-reduction and energy-access targets.
The planned growth of South Africa’s wind-energy sector over the coming decade, and beyond, will require a material upscaling of the country’s training infrastructure to ensure that there are sufficient South African wind technicians trained to support the building and maintenance of an expanding turbine fleet. South African Wind Energy Association CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli indicated on Thursday that more than 1 700 wind turbine service technicians would be required by 2030 to help build the 14.4 GW of new wind capacity outlined for installation by that date, as well as to service a fleet of some 17.7 GW.
Trade and Industrial Policy Strategies (TIPS) points out that South Africa needs to overhaul its existing financing mechanisms and instruments if communities are to truly benefit from a just energy transition to a green economy.
This emerged as a central theme during a TIPS-hosted development dialogue webinar, which was held to discuss a number of possible options to finance the just transition process in South Africa.
Debt-laden chemicals and energy group Sasol is keeping its rights-issue powder dry, indicating on Wednesday that a final decision on any possible issuance, including its scale, will depend on various factors, including whether or not it is successful in completing yet more asset disposals. CEO Fleetwood Grobler reported on Wednesday that a “go or no-go” decision on the rights issue would be announced in February, when the group was scheduled to release its interim results for the 2021 financial year.
INDUSTRY NEWS
- Greencoat Renewables lists on AltX, opens access to pan-European green energy portfolioJune 9, 2025 - 12:04 pm
- South Africa provides details on Credit Guarantee Vehicle as it confirms ITP procurement timelinesJune 6, 2025 - 5:04 pm
- Uncertainty arises about electricity traders’ access to virtual wheeling over Eskom’s networkJune 6, 2025 - 4:04 pm
WHERE TO FIND US
Address
9 Yellow Street
Botshabelo Industrial Area
Botshabelo, Free State
Call / Email Us
Tel: +27 (0) 61 956 6772
Email: info@transfix.co.za
