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Renewable Energy News

Storage should aim to address cost reduction

10th April 2020 Ensuring that renewable energy is a useful asset to the grid and that the companies that own and operate it are profitable, while also producing less expensive energy, is a complex job. →

Association aims to address storage hybrid projects

10th April 2020 The South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea) has announced that it will be creating a discussion platform to support members and the broader renewable energy sector, by addressing questions that are emerging in relation to wind and storage hybrid projects. →

NTOMBIFUTHI NTULI There is a global wave of hybrid projects that use, among other things, wind and battery storage

Mine to benefit from minigrid project

By: Mamaili Mamaila 10th April 2020 Electricity storage provider Bushveld Energy initiated the development of a minigrid project, at the Vametco mining and processing facility, in March last year. →

MIKHAIL NIKOMAROV The Vamecto minigrid project is unmatched in its ability to deliver long-duration storage and cycle multiple times a day

Storage key to exploiting renewables’ full potential

By: Mamaili Mamaila 10th April 2020 Energy storage is a key technology to unlock renewable-energy potential, says full-service renewable-energy provider New Southern Energy (NSE) MD John Deepak. →

CHANGES OVERTIME A solar panel currently uses considerably fewer inputs, compared with a solar panel ten years ago

UK reports 2019 was a record year for renewable electricity generation

By: Rebecca Campbell 9th April 2020 In a report issued on April 9, the British Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy reported that, based on provisional figures, last year had been a record year for the production of electricity using renewable technologies in the UK. Renewable electricity generation last year was... →

Epping Property advances solar power for industrial buildings

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 9th April 2020 The current power crisis in South Africa is having an extremely negative impact on many levels; and business owners, particularly those in the manufacturing and industrial sector, are having to grapple with the knock-on effects of lost working hours and the negative consequences such as... →

Frost & Sullivan highlights opportunities in the wind turbine materials market

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th April 2020 The increasing demand for energy worldwide and traditional energy independence owing to volatile oil prices is encouraging governments globally to harness the potential of renewable energy, especially through wind turbines. Research firm Frost & Sullivan says the wind turbine materials market... →

Eskom’s Bernard Magoro appointed as new head of IPP Office

By: Terence Creamer 8th April 2020 The Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) announced on Wednesday, April 8, that former Eskom executive Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro had been appointed as the new head of the Independent Power Producers Office (IPPO). The appointment would be effective from May 1. →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro

Eskom extends bidding deadline for short-term power purchase scheme

By: Terence Creamer 8th April 2020 Electricity utility Eskom has extended the deadline, to May 11, for responses to a request for proposals (RFP) to participate in its Short-Term Power Purchase Programme (STPPP), owing to the imposition of a 21-day lockdown in South Africa in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The initial bid... →

Wärtsilä to help deliver hybrid power solution for Saudi Arabia gold mine

By: Donna Slater 8th April 2020 Energy technology group Wärtsilä will supply the equipment, as well as engineering and technical advisory services for a 44 MW hybrid power plant to be installed at the Mansourah & Massarah gold mine, in Saudi Arabia. It will be the first newbuild power project in the country to use a hybrid... →

Wärtsilä 32TS generating set

Ground-breaking R488m fund seeks to catalyse green-economy SMMEs

By: Terence Creamer 7th April 2020 An innovative new fund has been launched in South Africa to incentivise fund managers to invest in small, medium-sized and microenterprises (SMMEs) that are able to generate verifiable green outcomes and jobs in the energy, water, waste, infrastructure and land-management sectors. The... →

South African private equity firm teams up with IPP to develop 14.7 MW hydro plant in Kenya

By: Terence Creamer 7th April 2020 South African private equity firm teams up with IPP to develop 14.7 MW hydro plant in Kenya South African private equity fund manager Metier has signed an agreement with Tembo Power, of Mauritius, for the joint development of the 14.7 MW Kaptis project, a run-of-river hydropower project near the... →

The 5.25 MW Sindila hydropower project, in Uganda.

Governments urged to integrate clean energy into Covid-19 stimulus packages

By: Terence Creamer 6th April 2020 Economic stimulus measures adopted in response to the Covid-19 pandemic should embrace sustainability and climate goals, International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) director-general Francesco La Camera argues in the agency’s Renewables Capacity Statistics 2020 report. Released on April 6, the... →

Both large, small markets suffering solar PV supply chain effects

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd April 2020 The disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic on Chinese solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing companies has prompted a major jolt in the global solar PV supply chain, says analytics and consulting company GlobalData. “The resulting shortage of PV components is disrupting the industry at a... →

Energy storage demand remains high despite global slowdown

By: Marleny Arnoldi 3rd April 2020 If Covid-19 mitigation measures continue to be extended, effectively curtailing the movement of goods and people, through the second quarter of this year, research and consultancy group Wood Mackenzie (Woodmac) says it will have to lower its global energy storage deployments forecast for the year... →

Building for sustainability promotes valuable returns

3rd April 2020 There is a direct link between the stability of an economy and ongoing development, says consulting engineers firm WSP Africa structures regional director Johan Piekaar. Currently, the local construction and property industries are experiencing a lull owing to reduced expenditure by government on... →

Photo by Creamer Media
CONSTRUCTIVE BUILDING Implementing a sustainable building philosophy provides value-add throughout the value chain

juwi awarded Touwsrivier solar O&M contract

By: Donna Slater 2nd April 2020 Renewable energy company juwi Renewable Energies has been awarded the contract for the operations and maintenance (O&M) of the Touwsrivier concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar project in the Western Cape, effective April 1. The contract was awarded to juwi’s’ subsidiary, juwi Solar ZA O&M 1. →

Perdekraal installs all turbines just ahead of the lockdown

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 1st April 2020 Perdekraal East Wind Farm installed its forty-eighth and final wind turbine, two weeks ahead of schedule, on March 24. The final lifting was a celebratory moment for the largely South African crew, who have since left the construction site, in compliance with the Covid-19 lockdown, which came... →

Final turbine lifting

Wind IPPs given some clawback relief as Eskom issues surprise force majeure notices

By: Terence Creamer 1st April 2020 In its force majeure notice to wind independent power producers (IPPs), Eskom has indicated that, should the system operator issue an instruction to a wind farm to reduce energy output during the period of the Covid-19 lockdown, the IPP would be granted an extension equivalent to the period of... →

Eskom gearing up to run philosophy maintenance ‘as a project’ following Covid-19 hiatus

By: Terence Creamer 1st April 2020 State-owned electricity producer Eskom is gearing up to implement philosophy maintenance as a centralised project across its unreliable coal fleet, where ongoing breakdowns have increased the risk of growth- and confidence-sapping load-shedding. The utility’s board has given its approval for the... →

Eskom issues force majeure to wind plants amid low demand

By: Bloomberg 1st April 2020 Eskom Holdings told operators of some independent wind-power plants that it won’t need their power at certain times of day due to lower demand amid a national shutdown. The amount of power generated from wind is at its highest early in the morning when Eskom’s need is lowest, said Sikonathi... →

Wind farms under construction to declare force majeure

By: Donna Slater 31st March 2020 Twelve wind farms that are still under construction have declared force majeure, as they are are not deemed to be essential service providers during the 21-day national lockdown. The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) says that, following consultation with the Department of Energy’s... →

The Noupoort Wind Farm is one of the 22 wind farms that will continue generating power during the lockdown period as it was previously operational and not under construction

Industry reaction to Minister’s call for higher levels of clean-coal investment

By: Mamaili Mamaila 27th March 2020 There is much scepticism domestically and internationally about the potential for clean-coal technology (CCT). In South Africa, however, there has been an amplification in recent months of calls for accelerated efforts to be made to finding innovative solutions to the serious environmental and... →

Photo by GE
POWER PLANT OPTIMISATION Eskom’s Kusile power station’s use of the wet flue gas desulphurisation technology ensures lower emissions

Juwi achieves a million injury-free hours at Bokamoso site

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th March 2020 Juwi Renewable Energies achieved a record one-million lost-time incident- (LTI-) free hours at the end of the February. The renewable energy company is building the 78 MW Bokamoso Solar Park, near Leeudoringstad, in North West . →

Risk of load-shedding will be low during lockdown - Mantashe

By: Terence Creamer 25th March 2020 Security of energy supply remains critical during the Covid-19 lockdown period, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe reiterated on March 25. The supply of fuel to critical and essential services, as well as the supply of coal to Eskom for electricity supply and liquid fuels... →

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe r

IEA urges governments to integrate clean-energy transition into Covid-19 stimulus packages

By: Terence Creamer 23rd March 2020 The stimulus plans being developed by governments to counter the economic damage of the Covid-19 pandemic “offer an excellent opportunity to ensure that the essential task of building a secure and sustainable energy future doesn’t get lost amid the flurry of immediate priorities”, International... →

Privatisation slowly becoming reality

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 The type of participants attending this year’s Power & Electricity World Africa & The Solar Show are proof that Africa seeks to become less reliant on governments for its electricity supply, says event organiser Terrapinn Power & Electricity World Africa conference producer Caroline Mubima.... →

DRIVEN DISCUSSION The growing adoption of electric vehicles is one trend expected to dominate discussion at Power & Electricity World Africa 2020

Growing interest in green bonds

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 Local interest in green bond and/or securitisation instruments is robust and growing, says financial services provider Nedbank’s Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) debt capital markets origination principal, Arvana Singh. Nedbank issued R2.7-billion in 2019 across two auctions, which it says... →

ARVANA SINGH Increasing pressure is being placed on investors and financiers to allocate capital responsibly

Africa can develop on low-carbon growth path

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 Choosing between a low-carbon future and Africa’s economic growth is a false dichotomy, as these goals do not need to be in competition, says independent power producer Pele Energy Group founder Fumani Mthembi, a speaker at this year’s Power & Electricity World Africa. “The global investment... →

SUNNY DISPOSITION The global investment sector is increasingly more interested in funding renewable-energy projects, such as solar farms, as opposed to coal projects

Re-engineering of coal sector skills needed

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 The South African renewable-energy sector will not have an adequate pipeline of competent individuals to train if it does not endeavour to re-engineer the skills of workers in the Limpopo and Mpumalanga coal mining regions, South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) director Naim... →

Jacobs Transport strives to be a reliable and ethical company, providing its clients with the most efficient services possible.

Collaboration needed in electrical sector

By: Tracy Hancock 20th March 2020 South Africa’s entire electrical sector needs a “shake up” and a lot more collaboration, Electrical Conformance Board of South Africa (ECBSA) MD Peter Pedrick has learnt since taking up his position in May last year. Historically, South Africa was internationally recognised for its effective... →

FIRE STARTER There has been a significant rise in fire damage in South Africa over the past ten years amid a lack of regulation policing and governance

Kangnas turbine installations completed ahead of schedule

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 19th March 2020 Kangnas Wind Farm on Tuesday completed the installation of all 61 wind turbines – two weeks ahead of schedule. With all turbines now installed, the project is advancing to its commercial operations date, later this year. →

Last lift

Nersa finally initiates public process for concurring with Mantashe’s power determinations

By: Terence Creamer 18th March 2020 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) published two consultation papers on Wednesday for two separate Ministerial determinations submitted by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe for the regulator’s concurrence as required by the National Energy Regulator Act. By... →

CBI invites research proposals to advance lead battery tech in energy storage

By: Marleny Arnoldi 18th March 2020 The Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) has, for the first time, launched a request for research proposals to support battery technology innovation in energy storage systems. The consortium is seeking research bids focused on facilitating the latest understanding in energy storage... →

SCA denies CTF appeal to have renewables agreements set aside

By: Marleny Arnoldi 13th March 2020 The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) has welcomed a judgment by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) dismissing a case brought by the Coal Transporters Forum (CTF) to set aside power purchase agreements (PPAs) with certain preferred bidders. CTF had argued that the court should... →

SAWEA CEO Ntombifuthi Ntuli

Bank forecasting ‘exponential growth’ for South Africa’s small-scale power market

By: Terence Creamer 11th March 2020 A leading South African bank is forecasting “exponential growth” for the country’s small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) market in the coming few years, having already committed to funding project pipelines worth more than R1-billion, mostly in the form of rooftop solar. Nedbank CIB energy... →

Nedbank CIB energy finance principal Duncan Abel

Lessons from Brazil and India as South Africa gets set to resume renewables auctions

By: Terence Creamer 10th March 2020 Auctions have proved extremely successful for driving down the cost of wind and solar photovoltaic (PV) tariffs in both Brazil and India in recent years and are, thus, set to remain the main instrument for introducing yet more variable renewable-energy capacity. Nevertheless, specialists from... →

Photo by Bloomberg
A wind farm operating in Brazil

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