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Coal & Diesel News

Eskom to resume power cuts in South Africa on Monday

By: Reuters Updated 52 minutes ago South Africa's state power utility Eskom said on Sunday that a nationwide phased power cut due to end on Sunday would resume from Monday morning because some generating units were not yet operational. "As the return to service of some generation units has been delayed ... Stage 2 loadshedding... →

More sales of South African coal to China expected as prices rise

By: Martin Creamer 14th January 2021 About 600 000 t to 700 000 t of South African coal have already moved to China since the Asian giant ceased accepting coal from Australia and more South African coal sales to China are expected “for sure”, a top trader said in an interview with Mining Weekly. China’s power plants have been... →

Richards Bay Coal Terminal, South Africa's world-class coal export port.

Eskom says Stage 2 load-shedding to continue until Sunday

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th January 2021 State-owned power utility Eskom has advised that Stage 2 load-shedding will be implemented from midday on January 14 through to the end of January 17. Eskom says the load-shedding is necessary owing two tripped generation units at the Kusile power station, as a result of failure of the main coal... →

There was no alternative to Eskom's R1.68bn prepayment to Tegeta, says Koko Matshela

By: News24Wire 13th January 2021 Matshela Koko, the former head of generation at Eskom, told the state capture commission of inquiry that there was nothing wrong with a controversial R1.68 billion pre-payment which the power utility made to Gupta-owned Tegeta Exploration and Resources after the company clinched a coal supply... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Former Eskom head of generation Matshela Koko

Former Eskom manager held 'secret' meetings with Tony Gupta over Tegeta contract

By: News24Wire 12th January 2021 Former Eskom manager, Ayanda Ntetha told the Zondo Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday that she had secret meetings with Tony Gupta at his Saxonwold home to discuss a coal supply contract between the power utility and Tegeta, a mining business owned by the politically connected family. Nteta, who... →

Danish PM to lead IEA commission on making energy transition people-centered

By: Terence Creamer 11th January 2021 The International Energy Agency (IEA) has announced the creation of a high-level global commission, headed by Danish PM Mette Frederiksen, to investigate how to ensure that people are placed at the heart of the unfolding global clean-energy transition. Speaking during a virtual briefing on... →

Dr Fatih Birol

Eskom’s bailout emerging as equity swap by biggest bondholder

By: Bloomberg 17th December 2020 South Africa’s biggest pot of available cash – R1.91-trillion of civil-servant pensions and unemployment funds managed by the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) – is emerging as the key to rescuing the debt-stricken national power monopoly. The money manager has approached its parent agency, the... →

EIUG notes concern about Eskom's operational, financial performance

By: Creamer Media Reporter 15th December 2020 The Electricity Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa (EIUG) says it remains concerned about the operational and financial performance of power utility Eskom. This comes as Eskom on Monday reported an interim profit of R83-million, but warned of a full-year loss of R22.1-billion. →

Global electricity demand to fall 2% this year, says IEA

By: Creamer Media Reporter 14th December 2020 Global electricity demand is projected to fall by about 2% this year – the biggest yearly decline since the mid-twentieth century and far larger than what followed the global financial crisis in 2008/9, which resulted in a drop in electricity demand of 0.6% in 2009, the International Energy... →

Hunt on for ‘tens of billions’ more, as ABB agrees to repay R1.56bn to settle corrupt Kusile contract

By: Terence Creamer 11th December 2020 Eskom and the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) announced on Friday that an agreement had been reached with ABB South Africa in terms of which the multinational technology group would repay R1.56-billion to the State-owned utility to settle an overpayment dispute relating to a corrupt Kusile... →

Standard Bank publishes climate-change-mitigating fossil fuels financing policy

By: Donna Slater 10th December 2020 Financial services company Standard Bank Group has published its Fossil Fuels Financing Policy (FFFP) as part of its efforts to improve its management of environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks and contribute to the sustainable development of Africa. This follows the 2019 adoption of... →

Social partners ink compact on reducing Eskom’s debt and facilitating ‘just transition’ to renewables

By: Terence Creamer 8th December 2020 Organised business, labour, community and government have officially signed a social compact in support of debt-laden Eskom that also endorses the need for a “just transition” for coal workers and communities as the electricity system begins to transition to higher levels of renewable energy and... →

Bigger not always better with gensets – OEM

By: Marleny Arnoldi 4th December 2020 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. →

GENERATION OPTIMISATION In addition to cost savings, optimal design for the intended purpose also helps avoid delays in standby power kicking in during power failures for critical operations

Eskom to be charged with misleading regulator over pollution

By: Bloomberg 30th November 2020 Eskom Holdings, South Africa’s State power utility, said it will be charged with supplying misleading information to the national air quality officer as well exceeding emissions limits at the Kendal coal-fired power plant and breaching its Atmospheric Emission License. “Eskom can confirm it has... →

SA's prospects for future coal projects

27th November 2020 The role of new coal in South Africa’s electricity mix is coming under increasing scrutiny, with Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter the latest to question whether it can indeed be built. Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the prospects for future coal projects. →

SA's prospects for future coal projects

Eskom’s turnaround strategy to bear first fruit in April 2021

By: Donna Slater 24th November 2020 Eskom CEO André de Ruyter says progress is being made in the unbundling of the utility and that “by April [2021], we should see a change”. He noted that the negative impact of load-shedding on the economy is well known and it is something that Eskom wishes to put behind it as quickly as possible. →

De Ruyter calls for upscaling of power procurement plans as he questions whether coal IPP will proceed

By: Terence Creamer 24th November 2020 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has again called on government to open the way for the procurement of more new electricity capacity in addition to the 11 800 MW outlined in a recently gazetted Ministerial determination, cautioning that the 1 500 MW of new coal included in the determination is unlikely... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter

Green economy faces challenge to replace carbon energy sources

By: Bloomberg 19th November 2020 The march toward a greener global economy is headed into a more difficult second phase that will aim to replace carbon as an energy source, said panelists during the Bloomberg New Economy Forum. Companies including Honeywell International and Schneider Electricare offering solutions to reduce... →

Climate Transparency questions South Africa’s commitment to phasing out coal

By: Marleny Arnoldi 18th November 2020 A report by Climate Transparency has cautioned the Group of Twenty (G20) countries against quick-fix Covid-19 stimulus packages that favour fossil fuel industries. The global partnership has a shared mission to stimulate a “race to the top” in climate action in the G20 countries through enhanced... →

More than 60 power firms signal intention to bid into ‘emergency’ scheme – IPP Office

By: Terence Creamer 17th November 2020 South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office reported on Tuesday that more than 60 respondents had signalled their intention, by the October 31 deadline for doing so, to participate in the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), through which... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
IPP Office CEO Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro

Eskom moves to finalise just energy transition framework as shutdown of Grootvlei, Komati and Hendrina draws near

By: Terence Creamer 17th November 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom expects to complete its socioeconomic impact studies by the end of March for the planned shutdown of the Grootvlei, Komati and Hendrina power stations, in Mpumalanga, which are the first of ten coal plants scheduled for decommissioning by 2040. The decommissioning... →

Opinion: Breathing fresh air into old coal power stations

13th November 2020 In this opinion piece, Wärtsilä South African business development manager Wayne Glossop writes about the benefits of converting old coal-fired power plants to modern gas engine power plants. AGL Energy Limited undertook a successful transformation of an old coal plant to a modern flexible gas... →

Eskom ordered to rectify pollution issues at three power plants

By: Bloomberg 13th November 2020 Eskom Holdings, South Africa’s state power utility, was ordered to comply with pollution limits at three of its coal-fired plants this year while two more are being investigated, the government’s environment department said in its first disclosure about most of the orders. The violations listed... →

Vivo sees growth potential for hybrid fuel, solar energy solution in Africa's mining sector

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 13th November 2020 Vivo Energy, which sells and distributes Shell- and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants in Africa, believes it will be able to transform how energy is supplied to mines across the continent. It announced last month that it had reached an agreement to supply Canadian mining company Robex Resources'... →

CER lauds court halting Thabametsi power station plans

By: Marleny Arnoldi 12th November 2020 The Centre for Environmental Rights says major climate impacts and exorbitant costs have managed to sound the death knell for one of the last new proposed coal-fired power stations in South Africa. The environmental organisation’s statement follows the successful setting aside of plans for the... →

Marubeni to pull out of South African coal-fired power plant project

By: Reuters 12th November 2020 Japanese resources company Marubeni Corp will pull out of the Thabametsi South African coal plant project, the group told Reuters on Wednesday, following the withdrawal of some South African investors this week. Marubeni's exit from the 630 megawatt (MW) Thabametsi coal-based power plant project... →

European firms say South Africa’s poor utilities deter investment

By: Bloomberg 12th November 2020 European businesses are delaying investment in South Africa because of poor power and water supply and the costs of complying with Black economic empowerment legislation, representatives of an industry body said. South Africa has suffered intermittent power outages since 2008 after the state... →

Opaque fossil fuel subsidies put South Africa near bottom of G20 list

By: Donna Slater 10th November 2020 South Africa emerged as the second worst performer of the G20 non-Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (non-OECD) member countries, according to a November 10 report, titled 'Doubling Back and Doubling Down: G20 Scorecard on Fossil Fuel Funding'. The report ranks countries... →

Eskom Political Task Team remains concerned about debt owed to the utility

By: Yvonne Silaule 9th November 2020 The Eskom Political Task Team has agreed that all avenues should be explored to deal with the utility's debt challenge, including dealing with the underlying causes; for example inefficiencies, cost overruns, misappropriation of funds, cash losses due to unpaid debt by municipalities and other... →

Bearing isolators faring well in bearings sector

6th November 2020 Bearings distributor BMG tells Engineering News that its Garlock Klozure and Guardian Bearing Isolators have fared notably well subsequent to being introduction to the BMG range of isolators. A bearing isolator is an advanced sealing solution that is used to protect bearings on rotating equipment... →

SURE SOLUTION The Garlock sealing solutions offered by BMG have proven effective in many environments

Germany examines ammonia to deliver green fuel for industry

By: Bloomberg 5th November 2020 Germany is looking at using ammonia and methanol as ways to deliver hydrogen as a clean-burning fuel for industry, part of its effort to make Europe’s biggest economy climate-neutral by 2050. The government is financing a feasibility study to evaluate ways of transporting hydrogen and is focusing... →

Sasol unveils first carbon-offset deal as it seeks yet more projects

By: Terence Creamer 2nd November 2020 Energy and chemicals group Sasol reports that it has secured more than 100 000 carbon credits in a transaction concluded under the South African Carbon Offset Administration System (COAS), set up to facilitate the listing, transfer and retirement of such credits to offset carbon tax liabilities.... →

The 7 MW Bethlehem Hydro IPP

IPP Office extends bid deadline for R40bn risk-mitigation programme

By: Terence Creamer 2nd November 2020 South Africa’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Office has confirmed an extension to the bid submission deadline, to December 22, for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), under which government aims to procure some 2 000 MW of dispatchable generation... →

Fresh moves under way to address debt albatross at lossmaking Eskom

By: Terence Creamer 30th October 2020 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Friday that a “second round” of work is being initiated in an effort to find a solution to Eskom’s unsustainable debt burden in line with the recent social compact between government, community, labour and business to “mobilise funding to address... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter

Kusile Unit 2 reaches full commercial operational status

By: Donna Slater 29th October 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom reports that, on October 2, Unit 2 of its six-unit Kusile coal-fired power station in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga ,achieved full commercial operation status. This means the unit has progressed from its 16-month project testing phase, to officially becoming a part of... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Kusile power station under construction

South Africa’s cities to switch to solar as power monopoly ends

By: Bloomberg 27th October 2020 South Africa’s biggest cities are preparing to source their own power after the energy ministry this month approved letting them wean themselves off the state utility that’s subjected cities to outages for the past 13 years. →

Eskom moves to appoint advisers to structure 'green' transaction

By: Terence Creamer 22nd October 2020 South Africa’s coal-heavy power utility is moving to appoint financial advisers to assist it in structuring a potential transaction that could unlock discounted ‘green’ funding for the debt-laden State-owned entity in return for it meeting agreed decarbonisation targets. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter... →

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