SAAFF warns of rising port-congestion costs

The South African Association of Freight Forwarders (SAAFF) estimates that the current congestion at South Africa’s ports is costing at least R124-million a day in direct and indirect costs. With... 

Aveng shifts 'epicentre' to Melbourne as it names Cummins as new CEO

The locus of JSE-listed construction group Aveng is set to shift to Australia following the appointment of Scott Cummins, who currently leads McConnell Dowell, to succeed Sean Flanagan as CEO, as... 

Sasol, Air Liquide conclude corporate PPA with Mainstream for 97.5 MW solar project

A 97.5 MW solar photovoltaic project will be constructed in the Free State following the signing of a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) between Mainstream Renewable Power and... 

New $1.8bn-plus concessional loan package signed to support JET-IP

South Africa has confirmed the signing of three new policy loan agreements – worth more than $1.8-billion – in support of the country’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan (JET-IP), the... 

Report proposes replication of collaborative water model in electricity sector

A new PwC report makes the case for replicating a collaborative infrastructure model that has been used in South Africa’s Limpopo province to provide bulk water to both mines and some 400 000... 

No ‘overnight’ solution to vessel congestion at Durban container terminal

The prevailing backlog of ships at anchorage outside the country’s largest container terminal is currently forecast to be cleared only by the end of February amid persistent equipment shortages and... 

IPG confirms increase in just energy transition funding to $9.3bn

The enlarged International Partners Group (IPG) has reaffirmed its commitment to extend concessional funding to South Africa in support of the country’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan... 

Eskom to add synchronous condensers to network, including repurposed Camden and Grootvlei generators

Eskom is preparing to introduce 11 synchronous condensers – seven new and four repurposed – across its transmission system to support grid stability as the penetration of variable renewable-energy... 

Next renewables bid window ‘will not be location agnostic’

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa reports that the country’s next renewables bidding round will “not be location agnostic” and will seek to direct projects to areas where there is... 

Baloyi selected to replace Grobler as Sasol CEO

Chemicals and energy group Sasol has announced the appointment of Simon Baloyi as its new president and CEO effective from April 1, 2024, when he will succeed Fleetwood Grobler, who will continue... 

Interim Infrastructure Manager set up to facilitate initial private access to rail network

Transnet has confirmed the establishment of an interim rail Infrastructure Manager, which will oversee the initial process of ensuring that the rail network is opened to private train operating... 

Transnet urged to engage before presenting a R100bn bail-out ‘invoice’

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not “closed the door” on Transnet’s move to secure a reported R100-billion in balance-sheet support to assist with its recently released turnaround plan.... 

Language of incumbency

Two recent Eskom publications are heavily laden with the language of incumbency, which continues to go unchecked by a policymaker distracted by realpolitik rather than real solutions. The first is... 

Eskom’s hockey-stick shaped grid deployment plan comes under scrutiny

The hockey-stick-curve shape of Eskom’s ten-year execution plan for delivering much-needed new transmission infrastructure continues to come under intense scrutiny from domestic industry, with... 

New Eskom curtailment framework to unlock 4 GW of grid capacity in wind-rich provinces

Eskom has confirmed that it will release a curtailment addendum to its recently published Generation Connection Capacity Assessment (GCCA) that will unlock 4 GW of connection capacity immediately... 

Eskom says Koeberg Unit 1 being started as another resumption target is missed

Eskom reports that it has received permission from the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) to restart Koeberg Unit 1, but has once again missed a recently updated target date for grid synchronisation. 

There are already more clean-energy than fossil-fuel jobs and gap is set to widen

More people work in the energy sector today than in 2019, almost exclusively because of the growth in clean-energy sectors, which have employed more workers than fossil fuels since 2021, a new... 

Bill outlines broad ‘energy value chain’ mandate for State petroleum company

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has released a draft Bill for public comment outlining the establishment of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), which the... 

South African unions to launch just transition labour research centre

Four South African trade union federations have come together to launch a just transition research centre to develop the technical expertise to help the labour movement in addressing the potential... 

‘Open and transparent’ third-party rail access system by April

State-owned freight logistics group Transnet has confirmed that an open and transparent framework for granting private train operating companies’ third-party access to the South African railway... 

$1bn World Bank loan to support South Africa’s energy reforms and decarbonisation

The World Bank has approved a $1-billion Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support market reports under way in the country, as well as South Africa's low-carbon transition.   

Distribution crisis requires attention on same ‘scale and intensity’ as generation shortfall

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has described South Africa’s highly fragmented electricity distribution industry as a threat to energy security that warrants attention “on the scale and... 

End of the beginning

News that 67 municipalities that collectively owe Eskom R56.8-billion, or 97% of the municipal arrear debt of R58.5-billion owed to the utility at the end of March, have formally applied to... 

Eskom’s Hex battery the first of eight utility-scale projects being deployed across four provinces

Eskom has officially started operating the first of eight utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects being introduced as part of Phase 1 of a World Bank-funded programme to add... 

Activation of loss and damage fund at COP28 a ‘critical global solidarity moment’ – Creecy

Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has welcomed the agreement ahead of COP28 regarding the operationalisation of the Climate Loss and Damage Fund, the establishment of... 

Pension pay-outs to Transnet execs involved in inflated breathalyser-straw procurement interdicted

Pension pay-outs to two former Transnet executives linked to fruitless and wasteful expenditure of R33.5-million arising from the acquisition of a million disposable breathalyser straws, procured... 

Lack of curtailment framework holding up renewables round, IPP Office confirms

South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office has indicated that the procurement documentation for both the next public renewables round and a gas-to-power programme are at an advanced... 

Regulator approves Eskom tariff discounts for ferrochrome groups

The Energy Regulator has approved six-year negotiated pricing agreements (NPAs) for ferrochrome smelters operated in South Africa by both Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture and Samancor Chrome. The... 

Cabinet likely to consider freight logistics roadmap in February - Ntshavheni

The Department of Transport is undertaking a two-part consultation programme on the Roadmap for the Freight Logistics System in South Africa ahead of Cabinet approval, which is unlikely before... 

Ebrahim Rasool appointed DBSA chair

Former Western Cape Premier Ebrahim Rasool has been appointed the new chairperson of the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA). His appointment was announced during a post-Cabinet briefing... 

Seventh renewables round delayed to December, Ramokgopa confirms

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... 

Ramaphosa seeks lengthy and inclusive Agoa extension to stimulate investment, regional value chains

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has called on the US Congress to approve an early and “sufficiently lengthy” extension of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) to provide investors... 

Eskom fully prepared for recoding of 6.8m prepaid meters ahead of Nov 2024 deadline

Eskom insists its systems and strategies are in place to facilitate the seamless operation of the 6.8-million prepaid meters within its distribution areas after November 24 next year – the date by... 

Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy approved

Cabinet has approved the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) for implementation, with the goal of positioning South Africa as a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen.... 

UK pledges R20m to identify African critical minerals prospects

The UK will make R20-million in funding available to help identify the most bankable opportunities for African countries to attract investment into the processing of critical minerals. Boston... 

Invest in grids today, or face gridlock tomorrow – IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is warning that investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure is failing to keep pace with renewables projects, and is leading to a large and... 

Power in policy

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has never disguised the fact that he believes that Eskom could be turned around and loadshedding ended if he was made the shareholder-minister... 

Interim Infrastructure Manager set up to facilitate initial private access to rail network

Transnet has confirmed the establishment of an interim rail Infrastructure Manager, which will oversee the initial process of ensuring that the rail network is opened to private train operating... 

Transnet urged to engage before presenting a R100bn bail-out ‘invoice’

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not “closed the door” on Transnet’s move to secure a reported R100-billion in balance-sheet support to assist with its recently released turnaround plan.... 

Details of incentives for new energy vehicles in February

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed on Wednesday that government intended implementing tax and expenditure measures to support the domestic automotive sector’s transition to new energy...