Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec has started commercial operation of the first 60 MW of the 120 MW Mmadinare Solar Cluster, in Botswana.
The power plant is Scatec’s first installation in the country.
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Electricity and Energy Deputy Minister Samantha Graham-Maré reports that the long-awaited South African Renewable Energy Masterplan (SAREM) is currently wending its way through the Cabinet Committee process and has expressed optimism that it should be adopted “within the month”. Speaking during a EE Business Intelligence Webinar, Graham-Maré acknowledged that the approval process had been awaited for more than two years and said she was adamant that it now needed to be signed off.
Renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) Red Rocket has reached financial close on the first 242-MW phase of the Overberg Wind Farm, being built near Swellendam in the Western Cape. The project, which is expected to begin commercial operations in early 2027, will deliver an estimated 750 GWh yearly of wheeled electricity to the Rio Tinto Group’s Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) under a 20-year power purchase agreement.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is holding off on decisions to finance the $760-million Ruzizi III hydropower plant in Central Africa, due to fighting between Rwandan-backed rebels and the Democratic Republic of Congo, a spokesperson said. Europe is ramping up pressure on the adversaries following January’s blitzkrieg by Congolese rebels that saw them overrun the strategic cities of Goma and Bukavu, attacks condemned by African leaders and Western countries.
The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is worried about a “possible bloodbath of job losses” across multiple sectors, including steel, transportation, ferrochrome and mining, on the back of concerns about the 2025 Budget, problems faced by steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) and State-owned logistics company Transnet, along with an underwhelming performance in the mining sector. At the NUM national executive committee (NEC) meeting, held on February 27 and 28, the various issues were discussed, ranging from reflections on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s recent State of the Nation Address to concerns about the South African National Defence Force – something which is arguably outside of the NUM’s purview.
An influential South African government agency recommended the country phase out coal-fired power stations on Thursday as it published a ten-year study which found that people living near them were 6% more likely to die than their peers elsewhere. South African officials and citizens are debating whether and how fast the country should embark on a partly donor-funded programme to switch to sun and wind energy from coal. The fossil fuel provides three quarters of national power and employs 90 000 people in jobs unions are fighting hard to protect.
Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has expressed exasperation and disappointment over the most recent implementation of Stage 3 loadshedding by Eskom over the weekend starting March 7, saying there should be consequences for the recent failures at the utility. Having reduced rotational power cuts dramatically since early 2024 after an intense few years when loadshedding was implemented almost daily, Eskom has again resorted to using the growth- and confidence-sapping practice three times since January 31.
A decision on a disbursement by the World Bank-linked Climate Investment Funds that would trigger a $2.6-billion green-finance package for South Africa may be made as early as Friday, people with knowledge of the matter said. The CIF, which is backed by money from 15 of the world’s richest nations, is considering a $500-million payment to South Africa to help it transition away from the use of coal, the dirtiest fossil fuel. If granted, that would unlock a further $2.1-billion in funding from multilateral development banks and other sources.
Eskom again resorted to Stage 3 loadshedding on Friday, after a loss of 2 700 MW in 14 hours, including Koeberg Unit 2, which was taken offline on March 2 and was meant to have been returned to service within two days. Implementation began at 14:00 on Friday March 7 and was scheduled to continue until 5:00 on Monday, March 10, the utility said in a statement.
The UK has approved £330 000 in funding to facilitate a study by the Energy Council of South Africa into the reforms still needed to implement a wholesale electricity market in South Africa. The funding was announced during a visit to Cape Town by UK Special Representative for Climate, Rachel Kyte.
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