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Transmission & Distribution News

Solidarity to make court bid to place SAA in business rescue as part of 'shake a tax fist' campaign

By: African News Agency 29th July 2019 The Solidarity NetWork will kick-off a comprehensive and lawful tax protest campaign this week, including a court application to place South African Airways (SAA) in business rescue, Solidarity said on Sunday. This protest included at least six legal actions against state enterprises and tax... →

Aberdare Cables' R135m investment in Port Elizabeth boosts jobs

By: African News Agency 29th July 2019 Trade and Industry Minister Ebrahim Patel has launched Aberdare Cables' new R135-million high-voltage power cables plant in Port Elizabeth, which is set to create jobs and contribute significantly to the South African economy. Patel said Aberdare Cables' parent company, Hengtong – a major Chinese... →

ELB, Eskom collaborate on stabilising Medupi dust plant

By: Simone Liedtke 26th July 2019 ELB Engineering Services has been successful in assisting State-owned Eskom’s Medupi power station, in Limpopo, to bring the dust handling plants under control, the company announced this week. Now that the plant is in a more stable condition, ELB has implemented a preventive maintenance... →

Eskom's Medupi power station

Eskom gets bailout funding. Now it needs a rescue plan

By: Bloomberg 26th July 2019 Six months ago, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the country’s indebted power utility would be split in three, it would get new leadership and its debt wouldn’t become a burden on the nation’s finances. Instead, an initial bailout has been increased by R59-billion, no plan has been... →

Gas to flourish in short to medium term

26th July 2019 Evidence suggests that the natural gas market boom is likely to continue in the short to medium term, alludes trade insurance firm Coface sector economist and statistician Khalid Ait-Yahia. Natural gas is a convenient way to produce energy, owing to its abundant supply, versatility, and the fact... →

IN THE PIPELINE There are still viable uses for gas and the trend should continue for the short to medium term

Cleaner and quieter generators now available

By: Halima Frost 26th July 2019 Supportable power generation solutions provider SustainPower has partnered with industrial generator manufacturer Pramac to provide clean and quiet standby power with its liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas (NG) generators for South Africa. The partnership was announced at the Africa... →

CAN IT Containerised gas generators offer mobile solutions and easy setup

Combustion provider goes green to boost projects

By: Halima Frost 26th July 2019 The ever-increasing need for industry to be greener and reduce emissions has led to more projects being awarded to local oil and gas burner technology provider Combustion Technology. “The ability to supply numerous gas-fired burners and steam boiler plants to the South African market has been... →

BREWING BETTER The recently converted burner at South African Breweries has improved output and efficiency

Gas earmarked as notable power source in sub-Saharan Africa

By: Halima Frost 26th July 2019 Gas is positioned to be a notable contributor to an increased electrification access rate in Sub-Saharan Africa, says multinational conglomerate GE Gas Power sub-Saharan Africa commercial executive, Nosizwe Dlengezele-Motsitsi. She tells Engineering News that gas could also potentially replace... →

PLANE TECH Aeroderivative gas turbines were borne from jet engine technology developed by GE Aviation

Virtual Gas growing its network

26th July 2019 Natural gas solutions provider CNG Holdings’ delivery subsidiary, Virtual Gas Network, is currently delivering uninterrupted supplies of liquid natural gas (LNG) to its customers equivalent to 736 400 ℓ of diesel for each site. This is achieved through the efficient road distribution system which... →

FAST AND FUEL-IOUS An ever growing gas network allows for more clients to convert to the cheaper and cleaner natural gas option

Johannesburg power body hit by ransomware attack

By: Reuters 25th July 2019 City Power, responsible for powering South Africa's financial capital Johannesburg, said on Thursday it had been hit by a ransomware virus that had encrypted all of its databases, applications and network. The municipal body, owned by the City of Johannesburg, said its website was down and that... →

Eskom support, IPP Office changes and load-shedding

25th July 2019 Creamer Media's Chanel de Bruyn speaks to Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer about the R59-billion support package approved for Eskom this week, the surprise announcement that the head of the IPP Office had been asked to leave her post and concerns that South Africa may again face... →

Eskom support, IPP Office changes and load-shedding

Mboweni warns extra R59bn allocated to Eskom comes at 'huge' cost to fiscus

By: Kim Cloete 23rd July 2019 Finance Minister Tito Mboweni has allocated an additional R26-billion to debt-ridden Eskom for 2019/20 and R33-billion for 2020/21 in a bid to help the utility meet its financial obligations. “Eskom’s funding plan is dependent on Eskom raising additional finance from the market, which in turn... →

Finance Minister Tito Mboweni

Eskom restores power supply to cooperating areas in Gauteng

By: African News Agency 23rd July 2019 Eskom said on Monday it has restored power supply to some parts of Gauteng where communities have allowed its technicians safe access to conduct audits, remove illegal connections, disconnect non-paying customers and issue fines. This is after the power utility cut electricity in some parts of... →

Nigeria, Siemens agree roadmap to increase power – Buhari

By: Reuters 22nd July 2019 Nigeria and German company Siemens have agreed a roadmap to increase Nigeria's "reliable" power supply to 11 000 MW by 2023, President Muhammadu Buhari said on Monday. The president of the West African country said that at present, "only an average of 4 000 MW reliably reaches consumers". →

South Africa allocates extra R59bn for cash-strapped Eskom

By: Reuters 22nd July 2019 The South African government has made an extra R59-billion available to State-owned power utility Eskom over the next two years so it can meet its obligations, a Special Appropriation Bill seen by Reuters on Monday showed. Eskom, which supplies more than 90% of the country's electricity but has... →

South Africa set to name 'bad cop' to oversee Eskom rescue

By: Bloomberg 19th July 2019 Of all the executives, government officials and consultants being recruited to tackle the mammoth task of rescuing South Africa’s state power utility, the toughest task could fall to the person who has to take it apart. President Cyril Ramaphosa last month said a soon-to-be appointed chief... →

Fixing Eskom will result in higher taxes, electricity prices – economist

By: Irma Venter 17th July 2019 There is little doubt that the taxpayer will be left footing the bill for the problems experienced at power supplier Eskom, and probably so through higher electricity prices and increased taxes. Over the last decade-plus, Eskom has seen generation capacity increase only slightly, with the amount... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Dylan Slater
Absa research head and chief economist Jeff Gable

SOEs in need of expert staff – Gordhan

By: African News Agency 17th July 2019 South Africa's State-owned enterprises need technical experts to make up three-quarters of their staff, whereas at the moment up to half were administrative support staff, Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan said on Wednesday. "Three quarters of staff should be experts in each sector we... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Eskom group treasurer resigns

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 15th July 2019 Eskom group treasurer Andre Pillay has tendered his resignation and will leave at the end of August. Pillay has been with Eskom since 2011, when he was appointed senior manager for funding execution in the Eskom Treasury department. He was subsequently promoted to GM (group treasurer) in... →

Eskom’s quickest fix is giving it cash now, swapping debt later

By: Bloomberg 15th July 2019 Ask Nedbank Group CEO Mike Brown how to save South Africa’s beleaguered State-owned power utility and his approach is simple: first give it cash and then consider a debt-to-equity swap later. Eskom Holdings is paying so much in interest on its debt – at the same time that its income is falling –... →

Flexible modular drive system added to range

By: Cameron Mackay 12th July 2019 Automation solutions provider Schneider Electric has added the new Altivar Process Modular (APM) drive system to its range of Altivar Process variable-speed drives (VSDs), which were displayed at the company’s stand at the Africa Automation Fair, held in Johannesburg last month. “This is a... →

DRIVE FOR FLEXIBLE LOADS The APM drive system provides flexibility for end-users in terms of late changes to the load in the design and installation phase of a project

China Development Bank loan on track, says Eskom's Mabuza

By: African News Agency 11th July 2019 Eskom's loan from the China Development Bank (CDB) appeared secure following talks in recent days, Eskom chairman Jabu Mabuza said on Thursday. "We have met with CDB and we were updated. They had a lot of questions," he told a media briefing ahead of Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan's... →

Gordhan says draft Eskom unbundling White Paper to be finalised soon

By: Terence Creamer 11th July 2019 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan says a draft White Paper outlining government’s approach to the unbundling of State-owned power utility Eskom, as well as how its “unsustainable” debt burden will be managed, is being prepared and should be finalised within weeks. Gordhan made the... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Rand strengthens as Eskom proposal soothes traders’ nerves

By: Bloomberg 11th July 2019 The rand rose to the strongest level since February after Eskom Holdings biggest bondholder was said to have a rescue plan for the state-owned company. The currency, which was already being buoyed by a global rally, added as much as 0.9%, bringing the dollar-rand pair close to crossing below its... →

Mashaba threatens to take Eskom to Nersa over Johannesburg power cuts

By: African News Agency 11th July 2019 The Democratic Alliance has applauded its Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba for taking power utility Eskom to task over prolonged power cuts in areas such as Diepsloot, Ivory Park, Soweto and Orange Farm. Mashaba on Thursday threatened to institute dispute resolution proceedings with the national... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Herman Mashaba

Eskom has yet another headache – an $813m a year carbon tax bill

By: Bloomberg 10th July 2019 South Africa’s troubled state-owned power utility has yet another thing to worry about – a big carbon tax bill expected to kick in from 2023. Eskom Holdings, which has been forced to turn to the government for bailouts to meet its obligations, mostly burns coal to generate power and is one of the... →

Ramaphosa says he will discuss Zim's energy woes with Eskom

By: News24Wire 9th July 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa has said he will discuss Zimbabwe's energy woes with Eskom, adding that boosting the supply of electricity to South Africa's northern neighbour requires a "balancing act". The president was speaking on the sidelines of the 12th Extraordinary Summit on the Continental... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Zimbabwe power utility says needs $14m a month for imports

By: Reuters 8th July 2019 Zimbabwe's State-owned power utility, ZESA Holdings, which is implementing severe power cuts, needs $14 million for monthly electricity imports from the regional power market, its acting Chief Executive Patrick Chivaura said on Monday. "If we clear our debts to (South African power firm) Eskom... →

National Treasury briefs appropriations committees on R17bn payment to Eskom

By: African News Agency 4th July 2019 National Treasury on Wednesday briefed a joint meeting of the Standing and Select Committees on Appropriations on the Minister of Finance’s authorisation of a R17.65-billion payment to Eskom in April, as well as on the Appropriations Bill, the committee said in a statement. National Treasury... →

South Africa weighs new support measures for struggling Eskom

By: Reuters 3rd July 2019 South Africa is weighing extra options to support Eskom, including swapping the financially troubled State power firm's debt for government bonds or ring-fencing it in a special account, a senior treasury official said. Discussions are at an early stage, and it is not yet clear which option will... →

Eskom confirms receiving debt payment installment from Zimbabwe

By: African News Agency 2nd July 2019 Eskom confirmed on Tuesday that a payment of R139-million from Zimbabwe had reflected in its account, after an earlier denial prompted the neighbouring state's energy minister to post proof of payment on his Twitter account. "Eskom confirms that the payment made by Zimbabwe is reflecting in its... →

Zimbabwe expects to pay $10m to Eskom by end of Monday

By: Reuters 1st July 2019 Zimbabwe's government expects to pay $10-million to South African state power firm Eskom by the end of Monday, Zimbabwean Finance Minister Mthuli Ncube said. Zimbabwe, which is grappling with severe power shortages, imports power from neighbouring South Africa. But Eskom cut back power exports to... →

Collaboration ensures reliable energy solutions for water pumpstations

By: Khutso Maphatsoe 28th June 2019 With pumpstations requiring prime power from the grid or reliable back-up power to ensure continuous water flow, power solutions manufacturer Himoinsa works closely with water contractors and consultants to deliver the best solution for a pumpstation. “Whether it’s prime or continuous running, we... →

FORWARD THINKING Himoinsa is investing in research and development, and has launched several products that will effectively integrate with hybrid power solutions

South Africa says Eskom creditors won’t lose out in restructure

By: Bloomberg 27th June 2019 South Africa has laid out a timeline for the restructuring of Eskom Holdings and pledged that creditors of the state-owned power company won’t suffer losses, according to a fund manager who attended a briefing by the head of the country’s Treasury. Treasury Director-General Dondo Mogajane set out... →

Zambia directs State power firm to take cost-cutting measures

By: Reuters 27th June 2019 Zambia's Zesco should freeze staff hiring, merge some of its departments and take other steps to cut costs and make the State power utility more efficient, a government body said. The government said in November it had started implementing measures to transform Zesco, which does not have enough... →

Gordhan says SOEs in dire straits, threatens boards and CEOs with intervention

By: News24Wire 26th June 2019 South Africa’s State-owned companies are in a parlous state and if the boards and management of these organisations do not do what government expects of them, it won’t hesitate to intervene to ensure proper governance and financial management, says Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan. He... →

Photo by Reuters
Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan

Eskom's gain South Africa's pain as investors balk at debt

By: Bloomberg 24th June 2019 President Cyril Ramaphosa’s latest pledge to support Eskom Holdings is good news for the cash-strapped electricity company -- but some investors are balking at the prospect of increased sovereign-bond issuance to pay for the bailout. Ramaphosa told lawmakers last week South Africa would bring... →

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