Nersa makes far-reaching changes to tariff rules, but implementation timing uncertain

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved far-reaching changes to the way electricity tariffs will be set in future, but it could still take some time before the rules are... 

Preferred bidder for Richards Bay bunker fuels terminal named

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has appointed FFS Tank Terminal as the preferred bidder to develop and operate a liquid bulk terminal specialising in bunker fuels on a brownfield site at... 

Crunch time

The consequences of policy failure in electricity are so obvious there is no need to ventilate them again. Not so for gas, however, given that they are only visible to those manufacturers that have... 

Proposed reforms to PPP framework to accelerate infrastructure delivery welcomed

There has been positive, albeit cautious, reaction to the reforms announced by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana to improve infrastructure financing and delivery and attract private sector... 

Eskom insists downward EAF slide has been ‘arrested’ amid Stage 4 loadshedding

Eskom insists the performance of its unreliable generation fleet is on an improving trajectory, releasing a graphic-heavy statement on February 22 disputing a recent report stating that its... 

Godongwana draws down R150bn from gold and forex account to reduce borrowings and debt-service costs

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana unveiled a far-reaching reform in relation to government’s treatment of the Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account (GFECRA), which will result in... 

R4bn may be removed from Eskom debt-relief for failure to meet EFC sale deadline

The South African government is proposing to reduce its planned allocations to Eskom under a previously announced R254-billion debt-relief package by R2-billion a year for the 2023/24 and 2024/25... 

RFP for private transmission investment to be launched in July

The South African government will release a request for proposals (RFP) in the coming months seeking private sector investment into a pilot electricity grid infrastructure project. The National... 

No immediate plan to list Aveng in Australia, but future listing likely amid change in reporting currency to Aussie dollar

JSE-listed Aveng, which recently relocated is management epicentre to Australia and changed its reporting currency from South African rands to Australian dollars, has no immediate intention of... 

Dispute over 5km road could highlight far bigger roadbuilding problem for Gauteng

A legal dispute over the granting of an environmental authorisation for a 5-km new road, the K148, in southern Gauteng has the potential to highlight serious legal impediments to the development of... 

New fund to mobilise public and private funding to climate-proof existing essential infrastructure

President Cyril Ramaphosa has provided some additional background to the Climate Change Response Fund, the formation of which he announced in his recent State of the Nation Address. Writing in his... 

Climate Change Response Fund to channel resources to adaptation, early-warning systems – Creecy

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reports that the Climate Change Response Fund announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) has... 

Eskom backs Necom-level consultation on use of electricity tokens to upscale virtual wheeling

Eskom Distribution MD Monde Bala has signalled the utility’s willingness to consider the integration of an Electricity Credit Token (ECT) financial instrument to accelerate the implementation of a... 

Impact of curtailment on BW7 under discussion

The Independent Power Producer Office (IPPO) reports that it is engaging with Eskom on its newly released curtailment addendum to the latest Generation Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA 2025) –... 

SA green hydrogen developers urged to bid for €270m German grant funding

South African developers of mature green hydrogen or derivatives projects are potentially eligible for nonrefundable grant funding being extended under Germany’s €270-million Power-to-X (PtX)... 

Reform momentum

From an economic perspective, the most important signal provided by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address was that the reform agenda remains in place, and that it will be... 

Ramaphosa promises ‘completely transformed energy landscape’ as he admits to loadshedding’s ‘devastating impact’

President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the “devastating impact” of almost daily loadshedding on the economy and the lives of South Africans but insisted in a speech made in response to the debate... 

Former IPP Office head now sees definite role for private sector in grid development

The former head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office, Karen Breytenbach, believes there is a compelling case for the injection of private sector investment to accelerate the... 

Innovative 128 MW solar-wind-battery project achieves financial close

The 128 MW Oya Energy hybrid project, which will combine variable renewables and batteries to produce dispatchable electricity daily between 5:00 and 21:30 for injection into South Africa’s... 

Gas users call for urgent policy and infrastructure decisions to avert 2026 ‘day zero’

The Industrial Gas Users Association – Southern Africa (IGUA-SA) is warning of a gas supply ‘day zero’ for several large and small manufacturing enterprises and says that urgent decisions will be... 

IRP deadline extension an opportunity for more renewables ambition in line with SoNA vision - SAWEA

The recent extension of the deadline for responses to the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) presents an opportunity to incorporate the vision presented by President Cyril Ramaphosa in... 

Not practical to implement new ‘black box’ tariff rules from 2025, Eskom insists

Eskom says the Electricity Pricing Determination Rules (EPDR) approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) in December cannot be implemented for the 2025/26 financial year as... 

Ramokgopa denies President’s pre-Stage 6 SoNA assertions caused embarrassment and insists loadshedding ‘corner has been turned’

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has move to defend the statement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday night that “the end of... 

Energy Vault, consortium enter licensing deal for gravity storage solution

Grid-scale energy storage solutions company Energy Vault has signed a licensing and royalty agreement with a South African consortium, established with the aim of deploying the NYSE-listed... 

Dedicated freight lanes and restricted truck operating hours mooted in draft plan to shift cargo back to rail

The Department of Transport (DoT) is canvasing as series of interventions aimed at attracting freight back to South Africa’s struggling rail system from road, which has emerged as the country’s... 

Independent transmission project office to be set up to procure new grid using ‘build, operate, transfer’ model

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that government plans to establish an independent transmission project office, located either at the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) or... 

Worrying outlier

The International Energy Agency’s (IEA’s) most recent report on the electricity sector includes a troubling section on Africa’s recent underperformance in this regard. In the section, the authors... 

Ramaphosa moots ‘innovative investment models’ for grid as he reiterates support for power and logistics reform

President Cyril Ramaphosa used his final State of the Nation Address ahead of upcoming elections to reiterate government’s commitment to reforms in the country’s failing power and logistics... 

AMSA sees plausible pathway for salvaging longs unit, but ready to reverse closure deferral if urgent progress is not made

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has deferred the wind-down of its long-products business by six months amid widespread concern regarding the detrimental impact of the closure on... 

AMSA announces six-month deferral to longs closure after agreements on short-term measures

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has deferred the wind down of its long-products business by six months amid widespread concern regarding the detrimental impact of the closure on... 

Standard Bank not expecting major fiscal slippage despite election pressures

Standard Bank chief economist Goolam Ballim does not anticipate “material fiscal slippage” in the 2024 Budget, despite expenditure pressures associated with the upcoming elections, as well as calls... 

Nersa makes far-reaching changes to tariff rules, but implementation timing uncertain

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved far-reaching changes to the way electricity tariffs will be set in future, but it could still take some time before the rules are... 

Energy Council welcomes IRP extension, calls for strong reform message in SoNA

Energy Council CEO James Mackay has welcomed the decision of the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to extend the comment period for the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 by a month... 

Preferred bidder selected for bunker fuels terminal on brownfield Port of Richards Bay site

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has appointed FFS Tank Terminal as the preferred bidder to develop and operate a liquid bulk terminal specialising in bunker fuels on a brownfield site at... 

Nersa formally publishes licences for new grid company

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has officially published on its website the three licences required for the operationalisation of the National Transmission Company South... 

1 000 MW gas-to-power cap placed on Richards Bay for first gas procurement round

While ‘location agnostic’, South Africa’s inaugural 2 000 MW gas-to-power (GtP) procurement round is limiting the development of facilities in the City of uMhlathuze, where KwaZulu-Natal’s... 

Next battery sites being identified amid bidding at eight substations in North West province

Independent Power Producer Office head Bernard Magoro reports that work is under way to identify substation sites for the upcoming third Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer... 

Fast-growing ENGIE South Africa will consider grid investments under right conditions

Global independent power company ENGIE, which is prioritising the South African electricity market for significant organic and acquisitive growth, is also open to participating in grid investments... 

Grid unlocked

As the South African government seeks to re-establish some momentum behind the public procurement of new independent power producer (IPP) generation and storage, much focus will be on how bidders... 

Eskom to roll-out ‘load limiting’ to more Gauteng areas following Fourways pilot

Eskom is aiming to expand the coverage of its so-called ‘load limiting project’ – where households equipped with smart meters continue to receive limited power supply during periods of Stage 1 to 4...