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Loock to retire as Metair CEO

By: Marleny Arnoldi Updated 10 minutes ago JSE-listed Metair has announced that its CEO Theo Loock has decided to take early retirement and will step down from the position, effective December 31 this year. He will also step down as chairperson and nonexecutive director of all local and international Metair subsidiaries and associated... →

Juwi starts work on fourth hybrid renewable energy project in Australia

By: Marleny Arnoldi Updated 52 minutes ago Juwi Renewable Energy has signed an agreement with Perth-based Contract Power to build the solar and wind power components of a new hybrid generation solution for the town of Esperance in, Western Australia. The hybrid project comprises a renewable energy hub, including a 4 MW solar farm and... →

Juwi Renewable Energy's hybrid project at Degrussa mine

Organisations say Covid-19 should not further delay universal access to energy

By: Marleny Arnoldi Updated 54 minutes ago In a report, 'Tracking Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7): Energy Progress', international organisations have warned that universal access to energy by 2030 will fall short unless efforts are scaled up significantly. According to the authors − the International Energy Agency (IEA), the... →

PIC proposes converting Eskom bonds into equity - chairperson

By: Reuters Updated 2 hours 4 minutes ago South African state asset manager the Public Investment Corporation (PIC) has submitted a proposal to government on converting bonds it holds in struggling state utility Eskom into equity, PIC chairperson Reuel Khoza told Reuters in an interview. Khoza said the PIC had discussed the proposal with... →

South Africa's Eskom sees lower risk of power cuts during winter

By: Reuters Updated 2 hours 6 minutes ago South Africa's state-owned power utility Eskom expects only 3 days of stage one power cuts, where up to 1 000 megawatts is taken off the national grid, during the winter period when demand increases, the chief executive officer said on Wednesday. "We anticipate three days of stage one... →

Photo by Donna Slater
Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter

Pipeline construction at Renergen's Virginia project to resume

By: Simone Liedtke Updated 4 hours ago Engineering consultant EPCM Bonisana, a subsidiary of EPCM Holdings, plans to remobilise on June 1 for the restart of construction of the pipeline at emerging domestic natural gas and helium producer Renergen’s Virgina gas project, in the Free State. “This is a great result, not only for Renergen... →

Wind energy market set new installation record in 2019 with 63 GW added

By: Donna Slater 27th May 2020 According to its second edition of its annual 'Supply Side Analysis 2019' report, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that in 2019 a new supply side record, in terms of capacity for the wind energy industry, was set, with 22 893 wind turbines being installed internationally. These wind... →

Pandemic-induced slump in global energy investment risks locking in obsolete technologies

By: Terence Creamer 27th May 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has set in motion the largest drop in global energy investment in history, with spending expected to plunge by $400-billion in 2020, a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report shows. Describing the slump as “unparalleled” and “staggering” in both scale and swiftness, the... →

IEA executive director Dr Fatih Birol

Bid documents for 2 000-MW emergency power being finalised after Nersa concurrence ‘milestone’

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2020 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) confirmed on Tuesday that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) had concurred with a Ministerial determination submitted to the regulator in February for the procurement of 2 000 MW of emergency electricity from independent... →

IPP Office working on scheme to procure 128 MW of additional energy from existing wind and solar farms

Development resumes at Kibo’s UK power plant

By: Simone Liedtke 26th May 2020 Subject to certain ongoing Covid-19-related restrictions and safety measures, AB Impianti has resumed engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) operations, which will increase over the coming months, for the 5 MW Bordersley gas-fuelled power generation plant in the UK. Bordersley is a... →

SANEDI says clean energy could boost country’s Covid-19 economic stimulus plan

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 26th May 2020 Government organisation, the South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) says clean energy principles and technologies should form part of the country’s post Covid-19 economic stimulus plan. This will help to ensure the country stays on target to achieve national environmental... →

Nigerian govt seeks EPC contractor for Kumbotso power plant project

By: Simone Liedtke 26th May 2020 The Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) is seeking the services of an engineering and construction firm to facilitate the realisation of a 10 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Kumbotso, Nigeria. The project will involve the design, engineering, procurement,... →

Electrolux South Africa partners with PowerOptimal to sell solar geyser solution

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th May 2020 Energy solutions developer PowerOptimal has partnered with the South African subsidiary of Swedish appliance giant Electrolux to help bring cost-effective and sustainable solar photovoltaic (PV) water heating solutions to the local market. The partnership will see PowerOptimal’s Elon solar PV... →

Cape Town proposes national renewables procurement scheme for municipalities as it pushes ahead with IPP legal case

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2020 The City of Cape Town is proposing the creation of a nationally coordinated renewable-energy procurement programme through which municipalities are empowered to procure electricity from independent power producers (IPPs). The City has adopted this position notwithstanding its long-running legal... →

Renewables associations call for green hydrogen focus in upcoming EU plans

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th May 2020 Ten solar and wind associations, along with industry leaders, have launched a joint initiative − Choose Renewable Hydrogen − and are calling for the European Commission to prioritise renewable green hydrogen in its upcoming recovery and strategy decisions. The initiative aims to highlight the... →

Select Committee says DMRE is improving its service delivery

By: Marleny Arnoldi 25th May 2020 The Select Committee on Land Reform, Environment, Mineral Resources and Energy has welcomed the plan to implement the proposed nuclear new build programme at a scale and pace that the country can afford to ensure the security of energy supply. The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy... →

Covid-19 workplace protocols must become ‘second nature’ for any further lockdown easing

By: Terence Creamer 25th May 2020 Organised business has called for domestic firms to take steps to ensure that their workplaces are Covid-19-ready in light of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s May 24 announcement that the country would transition from lockdown Level 4 to Level 3 from June 1, a move that will result in many more South... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Busa president Sipho Pityana

Hulisani expects loss a share of at least 54c

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd May 2020 JSE-listed energy investment company Hulisani expects to report a loss a share of between 54c and 64c for the year ended February 29. This represents an 8% to 28% widening of the 50c a share loss reported for the financial year ended February 28, 2019. →

Why a giant hydropower dam in Africa worries the US, China

By: Bloomberg 22nd May 2020 China and the United Nations backed calls for Ethiopia to resume talks over its plan to begin filling a giant hydropower dam that is opposed by Egypt. Ethiopia wants to flood the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam when the next rainy season begins in July. Egypt insists on having a say in how... →

Report calls for new supply chains to decarbonise global energy trade

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd May 2020 Today’s global economy is enabled by a global energy trade and countries around the world are dependent on the flows of oil, coal and natural gas to keep their economies growing. As countries move to decarbonise and adopt renewable energy, many are finding it difficult to do so cost-effectively... →

Sector increasingly adopting digitalisation

By: Mamaili Mamaila 22nd May 2020 Technology provider ABB Southern Africa believes that digitalisation can address the production challenges of the sugar industry. →

JOHN MANUELL The full potential of sugar production processes lies in leveraging available data to drive the seamless interoperability among people, assets and production processes

Auto-battery makers mull alternative chemistries to lower costs, increase driving range

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd May 2020 Battery makers and car manufacturers have seen a shift in the pursuit of altering battery chemistry to lower the costs of new energy vehicles (NEVs) that are being manufactured and extend their driving range. Speaking to Engineering News & Mining Weekly, independent research house Afriforesight... →

Eskom committed to ‘aggressive’ end-2021 unbundling timeline

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2020 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter describes as “aggressive” the end-of-2021 deadline for completing the unbundling of the vertically integrated power utility but insisted on Thursday that he was fully committed to adhering to the timeline contained in government’s restructuring roadmap. During a virtual... →

Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter on how Eskom plan to recover from its current downward trajectory. Camera Work: Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Eskom CEO sees sustainable future if R450bn debt pile can be slashed

By: Reuters 21st May 2020 The chief executive of South Africa's Eskom said on Thursday the State power utility could become financially viable and do without government bailouts if it could more than halve its debt to R200-billion. Eskom has about R450-billion of debt and is mired in financial crisis as it does not... →

Controversial plan to renegotiate IPP tariffs is proceeding, De Ruyter confirms

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2020 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has confirmed that the State-owned electricity utility is pushing ahead with a controversial move to renegotiate power purchase agreements with renewable independent power producers. Speaking during a briefing on May 21, De Ruyter said that the renegotiation of IPP... →

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

As Eskom rolls out boiler fixes to more Medupi units, it confirms FGD talks with World Bank

By: Terence Creamer 21st May 2020 Electricity utility Eskom is rolling-out design modifications made recently to Medupi Unit 3 to Medupi Unit 6, rather than waiting for the results of an evaluation of the fixes, which is proceeding in parallel. The unit was shut for 75 days on January 26 to address defects that emerged, mostly in... →

COO Jan Oberholzer on the rolling-out of design modifications at Medupi. Camera Work: Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Zambia's Zesco, Chinese firm sign $548m solar power contracts

By: Reuters 21st May 2020 Zambia's State-owned electricity company Zesco has signed contracts worth $548-million with Power China to develop three solar power plants that will add 600 MW to the national grid, the company said in a statement. The three contracts are a step towards diversifying renewable energy for Zambia,... →

NUM concerned about high numbers of Covid-19 in mines, at Eskom operations

By: Donna Slater 21st May 2020 The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) is concerned about the rising number of Covid-19-positive cases in the mining industry, especially in Limpopo, and at State-owned power utility Eskom's operations. The union states that some mines in Limpopo have become hotspots, where the virus is... →

Nuclear corporation briefs Parliamentarians on its 12-month, 5- and 10-year objectives

By: Rebecca Campbell 20th May 2020 In a briefing to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mineral Resources and Energy on May 20, the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) stated that it would achieve a turnover of more than R2-billion during the 2021 financial year (FY), but nevertheless expected a net loss of... →

Place clean energy at the centre of post-Covid-19 recovery efforts – IEA

By: Terence Creamer 20th May 2020 A new International Energy Agency report forecasts that the world will add 167 GW of new renewables capacity in 2020, a 13% decline when compared with record 2019 renewable-power connections of 192 GW. Besides being the first fall in new additions in 20 years, the Covid-19-induced downward... →

Lab provides insight into energy systems of the future

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 19th May 2020 Technology groups Wärtsilä’s Energy Transition Lab, developed to provide analysis into the energy market in Europe, is showcasing insight into Europe’s evolving electricity market landscape and, with it being updated weekly, is also providing insight into what is happening in the market during... →

Wind body calls for privately funded renewables to be key component of recovery plan

By: Terence Creamer 19th May 2020 The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is urging government to include renewable-energy as one of the main components of any post-Covid-19 economic stimulus package, arguing that such infrastructure is particularly well positioned to support a much-needed economic recovery, as it would... →

Ntombifuthi Ntuli

‘All hands-on deck’ includes women in energy transition

By: Simone Liedtke 19th May 2020 There will need to be an urgent focus on the energy transition beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and the world will need “all hands-on deck”, including women, to achieve success in this regard, says Cape Town-based wind farm developer G7 Renewable Energies project manager Veronique Fyfe. Fyfe is also... →

Veronique Fyfe

REIPPPP projects to resume development

By: Donna Slater 18th May 2020 Law firm Fasken reports that Covid-19 lockdown regulations enforced with the commencement of the national lockdown on March 26, which restricted the operation of a number of industries in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, have been clarified with the publication of the latest directions... →

Eskom describes Nersa’s treatment of coal costs in latest RCA claim as ‘significant shift’

By: Terence Creamer 18th May 2020 State-owned electricity group Eskom says the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) latest regulatory clearing account (RCA) determination for the 2018/19 financial year contains “some encouraging decisions”, highlighting its treatment of coal costs as representing a particularly... →

Renewables critical to reducing South Africa’s economic, energy constraints

By: Simone Liedtke 18th May 2020 South Africa’s energy demand “will grow exponentially” as South Africa further eases Covid-19-related restrictions and the strain on electricity supply experienced prior to the pandemic will likely return. This “will have massive implications” and likely have a compounding effect as the country... →

Kibo Energy inks power purchase agreement with Baobab Resources

By: Donna Slater 18th May 2020 Africa-focused Kibo Energy has signed a binding term sheet with mining company and steelmaker Baobab Resources to supply 200 MW of energy to Baobab's Tete Steel and Vanadium (TSV) project, in Mozambique.    Recognised as a key development project in Mozambique, the TSV project is about 36 km from... →

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