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Company adds solar inverters and drives to suite of solutions

15th January 2021 Engineering solutions provider BMG’s electromechanical specialists have extended its solutions service to include solar inverters and drives, which are designed to enhance the efficiency of photovoltaic (PV) systems. “PV modules – which use daylight to generate electricity – are gaining... →

Company ready for larger-scale projects

By: Darren Parker 15th January 2021 With the global trend of microgrid hybrid power solutions, solar solutions company Vert Energy was presented with a unique opportunity by property development company O’Nit Developments, whose strategic intent was to develop a power management solution that optimised the available energy sources... →

FULL CONTROL The installation, with remote monitoring and remote access, ensures that the client has full control over the system remotely

Low tax reduces solar incentive

By: Darren Parker 15th January 2021 The relatively low value of carbon tax in South Africa, and numerous allowances that government made available in year one of the Carbon Tax Act’s implementation, which took effect in June 2019, have resulted in there being little incentive currently for solar energy, technology company EDS... →

OFFSET Solar energy is a “carbon positive” method of generating electricity, and those who implement it qualify for carbon credits

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.

Ceres farmer commissions solar plant that benefits community

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th January 2021 A farmer from Ceres Valley has took it upon himself to build a solar plant on his Vadersgawe fruit farm, with excess power to be shared with the Witzenburg municipality. The 90 ha operation, called El Cuesta Farming, is renowned for its juicy apples, pears and nectarines, which are exported to... →

Solar farm at the El Cuesta Farming operation in Ceres

Infrastructure market ‘can only get better’, Siemens South Africa CEO avers

By: Terence Creamer 14th January 2021 Siemens South Africa CEO Sabine Dall’Omo expresses optimism that the country’s much promised infrastructure-led recovery will finally be implemented from late 2021 onwards, describing preparations for the roll-out as impressive. However, she warns that unless the Covid-19 pandemic is brought... →

Siemens South Africa CEO Sabine Dall’Omo

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... →

Total, Engie seek aid for France’s biggest green hydrogen plant

By: Bloomberg 13th January 2021 Total and Engie plan to build France’s largest green hydrogen facility to feed the oil company’s biodiesel plant in the south of the country from 2024, provided they get subsidies to make the project viable. Steelmakers and gasoline and biofuel producers currently make the hydrogen they need from... →

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

Emvelo refinances Karoshoek Solar One stake through TBI’s new fund

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 13th January 2021 Alternative investment and fund management group TBI has concluded its first deal in South Africa through its new Amandla Renewable Energy Fund. As part of the R440-million deal, TBI, along with Momentum Metropolitan Life and Absa, refinanced the existing funding of Emvelo’s 15% stake in the... →

Opinion: Renewables in Africa must deliver more than just power

13th January 2021 Amid concerns over energy supply, the renewables sector enters a new decade with impetus to boost socioeconomic development, writes Chris Antonopoulos. South Africa has entered a new decade with much to occupy its business community. For Lekela Power, the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19... →

Chris Antonopoulos

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

M&R subsidiary Clough secures Waitsia Stage 2 construction, engineering contract

By: Donna Slater 11th January 2021 JSE-listed engineering and construction group Murray & Roberts reports that its subsidiary, construction and engineering company Clough, has been awarded a A$400-million contract for an engineering, procurement and construction scope of work on the Waitsia Stage 2 development project in Western... →

Government saddened at the death of business leader Mokgatle

By: Donna Slater 11th January 2021 Government conveys its sadness about the death of Peotona Group Holdings co-founder and executive director Dolly Mokgatle. She was an established business leader who held various leadership positions within several of South Africa’s State-owned enterprises and the private sector. →

Three-way talks on Ethiopian dam reach new impasse

By: Reuters 11th January 2021 Negotiations between Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt, in a long-running dispute over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile, have reached a new impasse, the three countries said on Sunday. "We cannot continue this vicious cycle of circular talks indefinitely," Sudanese irrigation... →

First application made for power-tariff relief under new DMRE frameworks

By: Terence Creamer 11th January 2021 The first application for tariff relief provided for under the Negotiated Pricing Agreement (NPA) frameworks published late last year by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has been submitted to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) for authorisation. Nersa tells... →

Eskom suspends rolling blackouts as demand ebbs

By: African News Agency 8th January 2021 South African electricity company Eskom said on Friday it was suspending rolling power cuts implemented this week as demand had dropped ahead of the weekend. Eskom, which supplies about 95 percent of the country’s electricity mainly through coal, however urged consumers to continue using the... →

Enel teams up with Qatar wealth fund on Africa green energy projects

By: Reuters 8th January 2021 Italy's biggest utility Enel has signed a deal with the Qatar Investment Authority to develop renewable energy projects in Sub-Saharan Africa, the two groups said. Under the deal, the Qatar sovereign wealth fund will, as a first step, buy half of Enel's stake in 800 MW of its existing renewable... →

BioTherm's Excelsior Wind Energy Facility has started commercial operations

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 7th January 2021 Pan-African renewable power producer company BioTherm Energy, backed by emerging market investor Actis, has announced the official start of operations at its Excelsior Wind Energy Facility at the end of 2020. This marks the completion of its third Independent Power Producer (IPP) project in South... →

Excelsior Wind farm

Trilateral partnership MoU signed to develop flow battery technology for shipping

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 7th January 2021 Integrated green technology company VanadiumCorp Resource has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for a trilateral partnership with Conoship International Projects from the Netherlands and Vega Reederei and Partners from Germany. Key engineering work is planned to commercially... →

Eskom to implement Stage 2 load-shedding on Wednesday, Thursday nights

By: Simone Liedtke 6th January 2021 State-owned power utility Eskom will be implementing Stage 2 load-shedding between 22:00 and 05:00 on January 6 and 7. The load-shedding is necessary to recover and preserve the emergency generation reserves that have been used to support the system during the week following the... →

Assessment tool helps developers minimise wind turbine risk to eagles

By: Marleny Arnoldi 6th January 2021 Researchers from the Fitzpatrick Institute of African Ornithology (Fitztitute) at the University of Cape Town (UCT), HawkWatch International and the University of Amsterdam have developed a new tool that offers developers more accurate guidance on where to safely build wind farms to prevent birds... →

World Bank warns of extreme poverty setback as South Africa is buffeted by Covid

By: Terence Creamer 5th January 2021 The World Bank expects the South African economy to recover by 3.3% in 2021 and return to a “near potential pace” of 1.7% in 2022 after contracting by an estimated 7.8% during Covid-afflicted 2020. However, it warns in its flagship Global Economic Prospects report, published on Tuesday, that the... →

Tembo Power appoints new financial structuring MD

By: Donna Slater 5th January 2021 Africa-focused hydropower developer Tembo Power Holdings (TPH), formerly Tembo Power Limited, has appointed Jacques Barouhiel to lead its financial structuring business as MD. TPH is an independent power producer (IPP) with a focus on small hydropower in sub-Saharan Africa. It holds rights over... →

Scatec launches new logo, profile

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th January 2021 Power plant company Scatec has launched its new logo and profile, with this transformation following the company’s broadened growth strategy and the name change to Scatec from Scatec Solar. “2020 was a monumental year for Scatec. During the crisis, we made the greatest expansion since our... →

Nxuba Wind Farm enters commercial operations

By: Donna Slater 4th January 2021 Renewable energy developer and operator Enel Group’s South African renewable energy subsidiary Enel Green Power (EGP) has successfully reached commercial operation of its 140 MW Nxuba wind farm in the Eastern Cape. The project, built at a cost of about €200-million, is expected to generate 460... →

Unplanned shut of Koeberg Unit 1 affects installation of new steam generators, raises load-shedding spectre

By: Terence Creamer 4th January 2021 Electricity utility Eskom reported on Monday that Koeberg Unit 1 would be taken offline for repairs one month ahead of scheduled maintenance after an increasing leak rate was detected from one of the unit’s three steam generators. Eskom said in a statement that the leak rate was “well within the... →

IFC extends $200m loan to Nedbank to increase renewable energy financing

By: Donna Slater 4th January 2021 The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, and Nedbank have partnered to increase financing for renewable energy projects in South Africa in an effort to help the country transition to cleaner forms of power, reduce greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions and create... →

Siemens Gamesa seals first wind farm project in Ethiopia

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 4th January 2021 Engineering company Siemens Gamesa will deliver 29 SG 3.4-132 wind turbines to State-owned utility Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) for the Assela project − a 100 MW wind farm that will help power over 400 000 Ethiopian households. The wind farm is set to be commissioned by spring 2023 and is... →

Commission recommends approval of Stanlib Fund II's buyout of SCDA 3

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th December 2020 The Competition Commission has recommended that the Competition Tribunal approve the proposed transaction whereby Stanlib Fund II intends to acquire Solar Capital De Aar 3 (SCDA 3), without conditions. Stanlib Fund II is involved in the provision of financial services and SCDA 3 is a solar... →

Commission recommends approval of Engie's buyout of Xina CSP

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th December 2020 The Competition Commission has recommended that the Competition Tribunal approve the proposed transaction whereby Engie intends to acquire Xina Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) and Xina CSP Operations & Maintenance (O&M), without conditions. In South Africa, the Engie Group supplies a mix of... →

120 MW Golden Valley Wind Energy Facility connected to the grid

By: Creamer Media Reporter 17th December 2020 The 120 MW Golden Valley Wind Energy Facility, in the Eastern Cape, is the latest wind farm to be connected to South Africa's national grid. “We are pleased to announce the successful commissioning of all 48 wind turbine generators as the year draws to an end and we prepare to have our portfolio... →

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... →

Pan African appoints juwi South Africa as EPC contractor for R140m Evander solar PV plant

By: Chanel de Bruyn 15th December 2020 Gold miner Pan African Resources has entered into an engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) agreement with juwi South Africa to build a 9.975 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) plant at its Evander Mines. Construction on the R140-million solar PV plant will start in the first quarter of 2021,... →

Pan Africa CEO Cobus Loots

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. →

Govt, IPPs a step closer to lowering electricity tariffs

By: News24Wire 14th December 2020 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy has managed to complete its first refinancing agreement with an independent power producer (IPP), which is part of an initiative to lower electricity tariffs. The department issued a statement on Monday in which it announced that it had concluded a... →

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