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Minister outlines 2016/17 gas IPP, FSRU procurement plans

By: Terence Creamer 18th May 2016 Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson indicates that the procurement processes for the gas-to-power (GTP) programme and associated gas infrastructure will begin taking shape during the course of the 2016/17 financial year, with a request for proposals scheduled for the fourth quarter.... →

Nair confirmed as TFR chief as Transnet unveils new team

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th May 2016 Freight logistics group Transnet on Wednesday unveiled its new leadership team and structure, which the State-owned company said was in line with revisions to its operating model and its aspiration to capture new market opportunities. Group CEO Siyabonga Gama, who was recently confirmed as the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama

Eskom taken to task for its pricing structure

By: Kim Cloete 18th May 2016 Independent energy adviser Ted Blom has lambasted Eskom for its pricing structure, saying it does not work to have cost-reflective prices in a monopoly. He told delegates at the African Utility Week that using the pricing system to justify very sharp price increases was hurting the South African... →

Outa slams 'dodgy' Sanral summonses

By: News24Wire 17th May 2016 The Organisation Undoing Tax Abuse (Outa) has slammed the South African National Roads Agency's (Sanral's) legal strategy to issue summonses to motorists who have failed to pay their e-tolls. The civil action organisation, known for its opposition to e-tolls, said Sanral employed attorneys with... →

Molefe’s negative renewables comments attract yet more criticism

By: Terence Creamer 16th May 2016 Eskom CEO Brian Molefe’s negative comments regarding the performance of renewable energy in South Africa continued to attract criticism on Monday, with a solar photovoltaic (PV) industry body describing Molefe’s views as “ill-informed at best, and misleading at worst”. During a recent update on... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eskom CEO Brian Molefe

Saudi group keen to expand South African solar footprint well beyond Bokpoort

By: Terence Creamer 13th May 2016 Located on a dead flat piece of land about an hour-and-a-half’s drive from Upington and close to the Orange river, the curved solar collector mirrors, gleaming pipes and large molten-salt tanks of the 50 MW Bokpoort concentrated solar power (CSP) plant stand in stark industrial contrast to the... →

Photo by Duane Daws
The 50 MW Bokpoort CSP plant

Locally manufactured high-pressure globe valve for power industry

By: Schalk Burger 13th May 2016 Locally manufactured high-pressure globe valves for use in the power generation industry were launched last month and would be piloted by three State-owned power utility Eskom plants over an extended period in preparation for local procurement fulfilment, said advanced industrial valve... →

Photo by Duane Daws
ALLI ALBERTS The percentage of local materials and components used in the valves can be increased above 70% if local sources are developed

Eskom has control back – Molefe

By: Natasha Odendaal 12th May 2016 State-owned power utility Eskom has regained control of its national electricity system after experiencing a prolonged surge in unplanned maintenance and breakdowns amid challenges to meeting demand. Unpacking the parastatal’s quarterly State of the System briefing, CEO Brian Molefe on Thursday... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eskom CEO Brian Molefe

South Africa moves to procure 600 MW gas-fired power project

By: Terence Creamer 11th May 2016 The Department of Energy (DoE) has confirmed plans to procure a new 600 MW gas-fired power generation project, to developed as a public-private partnership. It is envisaged that the private ‘strategic partner’ will work with the State-owned companies (SoCs) to implement the project, with private... →

LNG tanker

DoE tests market appetite for three new public-private solar parks

By: Terence Creamer 11th May 2016 The Department of Energy (DoE) indicated on Wednesday that it would canvass the appetite of independent power producers (IPPs) to develop, finance, construct and operate three new Northern Cape solar parks, of between 400 MW and 700 MW in size, in partnership with State-owned companies (SoCs). In... →

ACSA well on its way to reducing its carbon footprint

By: News24Wire 11th May 2016 Testing vehicle smoke emissions as well as monitoring air quality regularly are just some of the things Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) are incorporating at Cape Town International airport to help curb its carbon footprint. Acsa met with the portfolio committee on environmental affairs and... →

GIBS sets up ethics and governance think tank

By: Creamer Media Reporter 10th May 2016 An ethics and governance think tank has been established by University of Pretoria’s Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), with a view to facilitating a national conversation about business ethics in South Africa. The think tank was formally launched on May 10 at the business school’s... →

Eskom avoids downgrade following Moody’s review

By: Creamer Media Reporter 10th May 2016 State-owned electricity producer Eskom announced on Tuesday that Moody’s Investors Service (Moody’s) had affirmed the utility’s credit rating of Ba1, with a negative outlook, following an earlier affirmation of South Africa’s sovereign rating by the same agency. In March 2016, Moody’s placed... →

Cwele: SOE cost-cutting plan under way

By: News24Wire 10th May 2016 The department of telecommunications and postal services has started to accelerate the rationalisation of state-owned entities (SOEs) to save money. Minster Siyabonga Cwele on Tuesday said that the programme to rationalise SOEs was under way to limit the duplication of work among various... →

Photo by Reuters
Telecommunications Minister Siyabonga Cwele

Davies weighs in on rail localisation

By: Terence Creamer 9th May 2016 Government was aware of the complaints surrounding the lack of progress in ensuring that localisation in Transnet’s locomotive procurement programme, Trade and Industry Minister Dr Rob Davies said on Monday. However, he gave an assurance that there was a plan, as part of the latest Industrial... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Rob Davies, Ebrahim Patel and Sibusiso Maphatiane on the factory floor at Guestro Casting & Machining

Fabrication of ‘bullets’ for R1.2bn Saldanha LPG facility completed

By: Creamer Media Reporter 9th May 2016 The fabrication of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels, or ‘bullets’, for an open access LPG terminal being developed at Saldanha Bay, in the Western Cape, has been completed. Sunrise Energy reported on Monday that the bullets would be moved to the terminal site over the coming five weeks,... →

Aerial photo of the Sunrise Energy terminal site

Poor turn out at march to save ailing SA Post Office

By: African News Agency 6th May 2016 A small group of about 50 striking South African Post Office (Sapo) workers belonging to the Communication Workers Union (CWU) gathered at the Mary Fitzgerald Square on Friday before marching to Luthuli House, the headquarter of the ruling African National Congress (ANC). The Sapo workers, who... →

Westinghouse outlines to ConCourt why it should be awarded Koeberg contract

By: Terence Creamer 6th May 2016 Nuclear vendor Westinghouse has described as “alarmist” Eskom’s argument that the existing steam generators at Koeberg would pose a safety threat after 2018, arguing in an affidavit filed with the Constitutional Court that it is able to install replacement steam generators well before the end of... →

Nuclear project affordability a concern for industry

By: Simon Sonnekus 6th May 2016 Owing to the current global economic climate, South Africa’s nuclear procurement deal has had several industry professionals questioning whether the country will be able to afford the projected R1-trillion project. “Currently, there is still a lot of market debate on whether South Africa can... →

COAL BASELOAD POWER In South Africa, the reality is that coal baseload is the most cost-effective power option as there is direct access to the raw materials

Nuclear energy not a threat for renewables

6th May 2016 Renewable energy producers who believe the new nuclear build programme could mean an end to business and the derailment of renewable energy targets can sleep easy, says Sandton-based corporate and commercial law firm Werkmans Attorneys director Happy Masondo. She notes that the derailment of... →

Photo by Duane Daws
TINA JOEMAT-PETTERSSON As of 2015 a total of 6 300 MW of renewable energy has been procured to be generated from renewable energy sources

Less than 1% of staff on strike, says SA Post Office

By: African News Agency 5th May 2016 Less than one percent of staff stayed away from work on the first day of a strike by members of the Communication Workers Union (CWU), the SA Post Office said on Thursday. CEO Mark Barnes said it was “business as usual” as the first day of the strike had had a minimum impact on operations... →

Gordhan tells Denel to stop being ‘arrogant’

By: African News Agency 4th May 2016 Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan on Wednesday termed Denel, which is at loggerheads with National Treasury over a joint venture with a company linked to the Gupta family, arrogant and belligerent. “One of the tendencies that we are noting in recent times is that when boards are beginning to do... →

New SAA board to be named soon

By: African News Agency 4th May 2016 National Treasury was close to naming a new board for the struggling national carrier South African Airways, Deputy Finance Minister Mcebisi Jonas said on Wednesday. “We are finalising the process of appointing a full-strength board,” Jonas said in the debate on the ministry’s budget vote. →

Post Office strike going ahead, says union

By: News24Wire 4th May 2016 Postal services in South Africa risk being disrupted later this week as a union says nationwide strike action is going ahead. The Communication Workers Union (CWU) last week threatened to strike on May 5-6 to demand higher annual pay rises for South African Post Office (Sapo) staff. CWU is also... →

Gordhan gets tough on government procurement

By: News24Wire 4th May 2016 The way the government buys its goods and services is getting a shake-up aimed at saving billions, Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday. This includes saving a targeted R1.4-billion by reviewing the government's top 100 contracts, saving a possible R1.8-billion by having a closer... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Pravin Gordhan

Eskom claims ‘steady’ recovery in energy availability factor

By: Terence Creamer 4th May 2016 State-owned electricity utility Eskom this week claimed that there had been a steady improvement in the energy availability factor (EAF) at its power stations, reporting “preliminary figures” indicating an EAF of 76.37% from the start of its financial year to May 3, 2016. The group’s financial... →

Partnership aims to use Joburg offices as a catalyst for redevelopment

By: Donna Slater 29th April 2016 State-owned company the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) is partnering with the South African Property Owners Association (Sapoa) in a municipal property development project valued at R12-billion, which aims to enhance the use of municipal-owned land within the City of Johannesburg’s (CoJ’s)... →

PARTNERSHIP DEAL Helen Botes and Neil Gopal shake hands at the announcement of the property development programme

‘Clinics-on-wheels’ on track for 12m-patient milestone this year

By: Creamer Media Reporter 28th April 2016 Transnet’s Phelophepa I and II healthcare trains are on track to reach their 12-millionth patient by the end of September, Transnet chairperson Linda Mabaso reports. To date, the ‘clinics-on-wheels’ have reached a combined 11.7-million patients since inception in 1994. The Phelophepa healthcare... →

Post Office nears raising R2.7bn in capital

By: News24Wire 28th April 2016 The embattled South African Post Office (Sapo) is near to raising R2.7-billion in capital from the likes of banks, says chief executive officer Mark Barnes. Sapo has suffered years of maladministration with the state-owned entity recording a R1.5-billion loss in 2015. A months-long 2014 strike... →

New Transnet chief prioritising diversification as commodity ‘meltdown’ bites

By: Terence Creamer 28th April 2016 State-owned freight logistics group Transnet is taking aim at new sectors, such as fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and manufacturing, as it seeks to sustain volumes amid the prevailing commodity “meltdown”. Speaking publically for the first since his appointment as permanent Transnet CEO,... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama

Rail sector moves to deal with ‘mismatch’ between localisation promises and delivery

By: Terence Creamer 28th April 2016 The railways sector and government have agreed to the creation of a framework to improve the monitoring and implementation of localisation commitments associated with multibillion-rand investments being undertaken by both Transnet and the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA). Discussions... →

Lynne Brown: SOEs must stay in government hands

By: News24Wire 26th April 2016 Government needs to retain its ownership of state-owned companies to ensure economic growth and create employment for generations to come, said Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown. In her budget speech for the 2016-17 financial year, Brown emphasised that South Africa’s parastatals, worth... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown

Commission study shows only 47% alignment between Budget and NDP

By: Terence Creamer 22nd April 2016 A preliminary analysis conducted by South Africa’s second National Planning Commission (NPC) of the current alignment between the country’s Budget and the National Development Plan (NDP) shows there to be only a 47% correlation. Nevertheless, Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe, who is NPC... →

NPC deputy chairperson professor Malegapuru Makgoba on the need to align the Budget withthe NDP goals. Camera Work & Editing: Nicholas Boyd. Recorded: 22.4.2016

Govt officials to receive SEZ training in China

By: Creamer Media Reporter 21st April 2016 A group of 20 government employees – comprising Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) officials involved in the planning, development, management and operations of special economic zones (SEZs) in South Africa – will depart for Tianjin, China on Friday to participate in a month-long... →

Trade and industry Minister Dr Rob Davies

Public Works asset register complete

By: African News Agency 21st April 2016 The long awaited immovable asset register of the Department of Public Works (DPW) was complete and showed government had in excess of R75-billion worth of land parcels and buildings, a media briefing in Parliament heard on Wednesday. Briefing journalists on the department’s budget vote, Minister... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Public Works Minister Thulas Nxesi

Eskom challenges ‘unfair’ State capture claims

By: Terence Creamer 19th April 2016 State-owned electricity utility Eskom has moved to challenge ongoing media reports suggesting that the company has been “captured by politically connected families and individuals” and has also called on its former chairperson to approach the law enforcement agencies if he has any information... →

Photo by Duane Daws
Eskom chairperson Dr Baldwin Ngubane

SA Post Office to reach profitability in 2018 – CEO

By: African News Agency 15th April 2016 The South African Post Office (SAPO) could only hope to be profitable in two years’ time, Mark Barnes, CEO of the cash-strapped entity told MPs on Friday. Briefing Parliament’s portfolio committee on telecommunications and postal services on the SAPO it annual performance and strategic plan,... →

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