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Renewable Energy News

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... →

Globeleq appoints new COO

By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th October 2020 African independent power producer Globeleq has appointed Gionata Visconti COO, effective early in January next year. He will be responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations and provide support for in-country governance work and asset management. →

Nersa permitted to grant above 1 MW licences without Ministerial approval

By: Marleny Arnoldi 30th October 2020 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has been granted permission to process licence applications for self-generation facilities of above 1 MW, even if they are not in compliance with the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019). This approval, which was granted by Mineral... →

Norway's Nel, Statkraft agree to produce green hydrogen for steelworks

By: Reuters 30th October 2020 Norwegian hydrogen producer Nel and utility Statkraft have agreed to build a plant to deliver green hydrogen to a steelworks in northern Norway, replacing fossil fuel, the companies said on Friday. A letter of intent signed by the two firms covers the delivery of an alkaline electrolyser plant... →

Global renewables group expanding into South Africa

By: Schalk Burger 30th October 2020 International renewable energy development company GreenYellow is expanding its presence into South Africa, and provides not only proven renewable energy systems, but also technical advice and financing to catalyse the adoption of these energy sources by commercial and industrial companies, says... →

MICHAEL ILLIAS GreenYellow will build and own the assets, or lease to purchase, allowing companies to deploy renewable energy without affecting their debt levels or balance sheets

Royal Bafokeng puts muscle behind Distributed Power Africa’s energy agenda

By: Marleny Arnoldi 28th October 2020 Renewable energy company Distributed Power Africa (DPA) has announced that Royal Bafokeng Holdings (RBH) will invest $20-million in a newly formed asset company to expand on DPA’s solar energy portfolio in four key markets. RBH is a long-term African community investment holding company with a... →

Boland Cellar commissions 473 kW crowdfunded solar installation

By: Donna Slater 28th October 2020 Paarl-based wine cellars Boland Cellar and peer-to-peer solar leasing platform Sun Exchange received crowd funding from 1 204 individuals from 85 countries to finance a 473 kW solar project to provide clean electricity for the wine cellar, while also reducing its electricity costs and emissions.... →

Vivo Energy, Robex to set up a solar plant at Mali mine

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 28th October 2020 Canadian mining company Robex Resources and Vivo Energy, which sells and distributes Shell- and Engen-branded fuels and lubricants in Africa, have reached an agreement for Vivo Energy to supply solar energy to the Nampala gold mine, in Mali, for a period of five to fifteen years. The project will... →

Municipal power procurement trickier than just getting the go-ahead from Minister

By: Marleny Arnoldi 27th October 2020 Although national government has opened the door for municipalities to procure electricity from independent power producers (IPPs), a lot of "regulatory ironing out" still needs to happen before power purchase agreements (PPAs) can be signed. In May last year, the Energy Minister gave... →

Industrial investment will flow if South Africa ‘consistently’ builds 1.6 GW of wind yearly

By: Terence Creamer 27th October 2020 Leading wind-energy project developers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are convinced that South Africa’s plan to install 1.6 GW of new wind capacity yearly until 2030 is more than sufficient to attract large-scale industrial investment. These captains of industry warn, however, that... →

Lower renewables costs driving up demand – Windaba panel

By: Marleny Arnoldi 27th October 2020 Renewables remain the lowest-cost source of new power generation in most parts of the world, with prices continuing to decline and making it a promising sector for development in most countries. The price of onshore wind, for example, declined from $86/MWh in 2009 to $53/MWh in 2019, representing... →

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. →

IDC aims to ‘catalyse’ recovery plan, but won’t go it alone as impairments bite

By: Terence Creamer 26th October 2020 The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) – which reported a R3.8-billion loss for the 2019/20 financial year, driven by a surge in impairments from R4.8-billion to R9.6-billion – has revised its investment strategy with the aim of “catalysing” government’s Reconstruction and Recovery Plan... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
IDC CEO TP Nchocho

Nxuba Wind Farm starts generation, delivery of energy

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 26th October 2020 With the commissioning of the final wind turbine at the 140 MW Nxuba Wind Farm in the Eastern Cape, Enel Green Power (EGP) has started with the generation and delivery of energy. The company says this is despite challenges attributed to Covid-19 containment measures and national lockdown. →

Nxuba Wind Farm

UCT research unit shares considerations for REIPPPP going forward

By: Marleny Arnoldi 26th October 2020 Power auctions are fast becoming the dominant procurement method for renewable energy globally, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, but it is not without its crucial requirements for success. University of Cape Town (UCT) specialist research unit Power Futures Lab research fellow Wikus Kruger... →

‘Great opportunity’ to tap Mpumalanga’s grid capacity for just transition – IPP Office

By: Terence Creamer 26th October 2020 The extension of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Development Zones (REDZs) to areas where coal jobs are at risk, but where grid capacity is available, represents a “great opportunity” to connect new renewable-energy generators while also supporting a just transition for coal workers, a senior... →

IPPO head of technical Pervelan Govender told participants attending the virtual 2020 edition of Windaba that there was potential grid and just-transition virtue to be derived from locating new renewables projects in Mpumalanga. Video & Editing: Kutlwano Matala & Nicholas Boyd. 16.10.2020

Cape Town’s largest bus company becomes a net exporter of green energy

By: Irma Venter 26th October 2020 Cape Town’s largest bus company, Golden Arrow Bus Services (GABS), has become a net exporter of electricity. This achievement is the culmination of a multiyear collaborative effort between Golden Arrow, New Southern Energy and the City of Cape Town. →

The solar farm at Golden Arrow

Ethiopia slams pressure after Trump remark on destroying dam

By: Bloomberg 26th October 2020 Ethiopia slammed international pressure regarding its long-running dispute with Egypt and Sudan over a hydropower dam on the Nile River, after US President Donald Trump suggested Cairo could destroy the dam. “Ethiopia will not cave in to aggressions of any kind,” the office of Ethiopian Prime... →

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... →

Procurement of 11.8 GW only the ‘first step’ in full elimination of load-shedding threat – De Ruyter

By: Terence Creamer 22nd October 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom, which is ramping up the maintenance of its unreliable and unpredictable coal power stations, anticipates that there will be a ‘step change’ in the performance of the fleet from April 2021, but has also warned that the risk of load-shedding will persist until at... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
CEO Andre de Ruyter and COO Jan Oberholzer

Fund establishes collective investment scheme with an infrastructure focus

By: Simone Liedtke 22nd October 2020 South Africa’s first preference shares with an infrastructure focus were listed on October 22 on 4 Africa Exchange (4AX), Gaia Fund Managers and Kruger International Asset and Wealth Management confirmed. Gaia, together with Kruger, is listing Gaia Fund 1 (the Fund), which complies with... →

Mantashe reiterates energy sector efforts to complement economic recovery plan

By: Marleny Arnoldi 22nd October 2020 During a sitting of Parliament on the debate of the Economic Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has reiterated government’s targets to deliver 16 313 MW of additional electricity generation capacity from a mix of energy sources. Mantashe... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

Ministerial Renewable Energy Sector Engagement Forum structure ratified

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 20th October 2020 The second meeting to establish a stakeholder-based Ministerial Renewable Energy Sector Engagement Forum (Resef) and associated Resef Working Group was held online on October 20, during which attendees voted overwhelmingly to ratify the structure of the forum and the names proposed by the... →

Massive grid investment needed to unlock IRP’s 30GW-by-2030 vision

By: Terence Creamer 20th October 2020 State-owned electricity utility Eskom is warning that a significant and accelerated expansion of South Africa’s grid infrastructure, beyond that catered for by its current R118-billion investment plan to 2030, is required to integrate the 30 GW of mainly wind and solar generators that will have... →

Scatec Solar advances growth strategy through hydropower developer acquisition

By: Simone Liedtke 16th October 2020 European photovoltaic (PV) company Scatec Solar will be acquiring 100% of the shares in hydropower developer and independent power producer (IPP) SN Power from Norwegian investment fund Norfund for just over $1.17-billion. The acquisition forms an important part of Scatec’s broadened growth... →

Ramaphosa announces a renewables-led recovery plan

16th October 2020 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Creamer Media Editor Terence Creamer about the unveiling of the Reconstruction and Recovery Plan, the role of electricity and renewable energy in that plan and whether South Africa will be able to solve its power crisis within the next two years. →

Ramaphosa announces a renewables-led recovery plan

Natural gas to play important role in the energy future

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 Energy solutions company GE expects gas power to play an increasingly important role in the medium- to long-term future of the country’s energy mix as government continues to pursue decarbonisation through balancing the demands between a coal-fired past and a renewables future. GE Gas Power... →

GAS FOR GROWTH The industrialisation ambitions of African nations depend on cleaner energy sources such as renewables and gas

Gap analysis needed to guide gas-to-power industry growth

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 With the potential of gas as an alternative energy source in South Africa an encouraging prospect, South African Oil and Gas Alliance (Saoga) CEO Adrian Strydom says the gas-to-power industry needs to conduct an accurate gap analysis, and engage in upskilling and capacity building to ensure that... →

Photo by Adobe
FLOATING GAS South Africa will need to import liquid natural gas for the short-term future, which will serve to stimulate the market

Gas-powered solutions offer lower upfront cost

By: Darren Parker 16th October 2020 In a capital-constrained Covid-19-affected market, gas-fired generators offer the advantage of a relatively low upfront capital cost, compared with coal- or diesel-fired alternatives, says energy solutions company GE Gas Power Sub-Saharan Africa executive Nosizwe Dlengezele. She adds that it is... →

NOSIZWE DLENGEZELE Gas plays an important role in bridging the energy gap to help create a lower-carbon energy future

Recognition of LPG benefits in energy mix growing

16th October 2020 For many years, the benefits of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for South Africa “have been largely, frustratingly, moot”, according to a statement from industry association LPG South Africa (LPGSA). The doubt surrounding LPG’s benefits stems from an historically inconsistent and unreliable supply... →

BIG BOY Bidvest Tank Terminal’s large-scale mounded LPG storage facility in Richards Bay was scheduled for completion this year

Independent grid and market operator ‘required’ to attract much-needed generation investment – De Ruyter

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2020 Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter has drawn a direct link between securing the investment required to address South Africa’s growth-sapping electricity supply gaps – including some R100-billion to further develop the grid in ways to unlock what will be mostly private generation investment – and the... →

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

Ramaphosa promises rapid power roll-out, but two-year timeframe for solving crisis ambitious

By: Terence Creamer 15th October 2020 President Cyril Ramaphosa listed the rapid expansion of South Africa’s electricity generation, primarily through the building of additional renewable-energy capacity, as a key priority in government’s long-waited ‘Reconstruction and Recovery Plan’, which he unveiled in Parliament on Thursday. The... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Standard Bank continues to increase exposure to renewables, move away from coal

By: Marleny Arnoldi 15th October 2020 Standard Bank has released its interim Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures report, highlighting that environmental, social and governance aspects remain at the centre of the bank’s agenda of driving sustainable and inclusive growth in Africa. Sustainability head Wendy Dobson... →

SAPVIA joins forces with European solar association to realise opportunities

By: Marleny Arnoldi 14th October 2020 The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) and the European association for solar SolarPower Europe has joined forces to unlock the potential of solar power and ensure that South Africa reaps the economic and societal benefits of renewable energy. Both associations have been... →

78 MW Bokamoso solar park begins commercial operations

By: Terence Creamer 14th October 2020 Another large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) project procured under the fourth bid window of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) has entered into commercial operation. The fourth bid window eventually closed in 2018, following a four-year... →

The 78 MW Bokamoso Solar Park

Renewable energy tool to assist household applications

By: Donna Slater 13th October 2020 Energy company Total and cloud computing company Google Cloud have pooled their expertise to jointly develop an innovative tool – Solar Mapper – which aims to accelerate the deployment of solar panels for individuals. The business-to-consumer tool works by providing an accurate and rapid... →

Solar ‘new king’ of electricity, but shift to net zero will require ‘unwavering efforts from all’

By: Terence Creamer 13th October 2020 The International Energy Agency (IEA) has declared solar the “new king” of electricity, arguing that, while renewables technologies as a whole are poised for rapid growth over the coming several decades, solar will be “at the centre of this new constellation of electricity generation... →

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