Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that the next public procurement round for renewable energy, known as Bid Window Seven (BW7), has been delayed until December. Delivering a briefing on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan amid a resumption of loadshedding, Ramokgopa attributed the postponement directly to the delay in updating the draft Integrated Resource Plan, which he said was now at an “advanced stage” and should be published before the end of November.
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Energy and chemicals company Sasol has taken exception to nonprofit organisation Just Share accusing it of shirking its responsibility to meet its previously stated goal of reducing its greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 30% by 2030, claiming that the disclosure of risks is simply part of being a responsible corporate citizen. “It is misdirected to view disclosure of these risk factors as Sasol conceding to not meeting targets. It is consequently also misleading to report it as such. We remain committed to our reduction targets and are progressing all reasonable available avenues to unlock related barriers in this regard,” Sasol said in a statement on November 3.
As the unbundling of State-owned utility Eskom gains momentum, both internally and through legislative processes, the unbundling of tariffs is equally important, and there are number of considerations for this, speakers averred during the South African Independent Power Producers Association’s ‘Tariff and Wheeling’ webinar on November 2. Independent energy consultant and former Eskom pricing manager Hendrik Barnard emphasised that unbundled and transparent tariffs would be a cornerstone for the future market and that it was crucial for independent power producers (IPPs) to be able to understand how and where to play in the market.
Following three successful exhibitions in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa, energy storage battery products producer Hinen has introduced its products to the African continent in 2023. The Hinen Company was afforded the opportunity to raise brand awareness and generate interest among consumers, small businesses and other industry players. It showcased its latest products, including a backup power solution tailored for the African market, at the aforementioned exhibitions, earlier this year.
As Russia continues to wage war in Ukraine, it has shone a spotlight on supply chains and the sourcing of materials. Speaking during a panel hosted by British newspaper Financial Times during its Energy Transition Summit, on November 1, Ukrainian energy holding company DTEK CEO Maxim Timchenko pointed out that, because many international contractors have left the country owing to the conflict, local companies and government have had to learn how to transport goods safely from ports and how to install infrastructure even in such circumstances.
Independent power company Globeleq and its project partners, energy developer Source Energia and Mozambican national power utility Electricidade de Moçambique (EDM), have received formal notification from EDM (the offtaker) that commercial operations at the 19 MW Cuamba solar photovoltaic (PV) and 7 MWh energy storage plant began on September 12. In September, Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Carlos Zacarias and other guests officially inaugurated the Cuamba solar plant, which is Mozambique’s very first combined utility-scale solar and energy storage plant.
State power utility Eskom Holdings said pollution from its coal-fired plants that supply more than 80% of the country’s power kills about 330 people a year. The figure, which Eskom drew from its own research, contrasts with a number of independent reports that put the figure at between 650 and 2 000 people a year. Environmentalists are protesting over plans by Eskom and the government to possibly slow down the pace of planned closures to alleviate power outages that are crippling the economy.
The National Treasury has confirmed that a total of 67 municipalities, which collectively owe Eskom R56.8-billion, or 97% of the municipal arrears debt of over R58-billion owed to the utility at the end of March, have formally applied to participate in the debt write-off programme. The National Treasury also confirmed that 36 municipalities had already been approved for participation, but did not immediately indicate what these municipalities collectively owed to the utility.
The most important thing for the City of Tshwane is to rescue it from financial distress, and key to this mission is maintaining energy independence, executive mayor Cilliers Brink emphasised in a keynote address during the city’s Mayoral Energy Sector Roundtable, held in Pretoria, on October 31. He pointed out that there needed to be considerable progress in energy independence to achieve financial rescue, and this therefore required one integrated project. He highlighted that the city had appointed an Energy Task Team this year, which was considering a mix of energy solutions for Tshwane to mitigate loadshedding and reduce its reliance on Eskom.
Eskom’s head of distribution Monde Bala reports that Eskom and the National Treasury are hoping that the number of municipalities participating in the Eskom Municipal Debt Relief Support Programme could rise to 67 from the 28 already approve at the start of October. The deadline for applications was extended to October 31, from an initial deadline of the end of September, to allow for further voluntary applications.
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