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Economic opportunity of South Africa’s energy transition akin to new ‘gold rush’

By: Terence Creamer 30th June 2020 South Africa’s energy transition from coal to cleaner energy carries an economic opportunity equivalent to the discovery of gold in the country more than a century ago, a new South African National Energy Association (Sanea) report argues. Published on June 30, the ‘South African Energy Risk... →

Green hydrogen opportunity for South Africa to drive economic recovery

By: Simone Liedtke 29th June 2020 The opportunity for South Africa to couple its renewable energy economic stimulus to non-electricity prospects presents the possibility for a new power export market, which can be laid now. The economic and energy benefits of green hydrogen is one of the many prospects discussed during the recent... →

Hulisani CEO Marubini Raphulu

Jobs in renewable energy could triple to 30m by 2030 - Irena

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th June 2020 The International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) says that, with the right investment from the private sector globally, jobs in renewable energy can triple to 30-million by 2030. It points out that, with every $1-million invested in renewables, it creates three times more jobs than in fossil fuels. →

3D printed wind turbines to improve access to, cost of renewable energy

By: Simone Liedtke 24th June 2020 GE Renewable Energy, three-dimensional (3D) construction printing company Cobod and building materials and solutions provider LafargeHolcim have partnered to co-develop wind turbines with optimised 3D printing concrete bases and which reach record heights of up to 200 m. The three partners will... →

Perdekraal East Wind Farm on track for grid connection by end-July

By: Marleny Arnoldi 24th June 2020 The main transformer for the 110 MW Perdekraal East Wind Farm, in the Western Cape, has arrived by road transportation from Pretoria, marking another important milestone in the project's construction. The 500 MVA megatransformer was locally manufactured, which added to the wind farm’s local... →

Perdekraal East Wind Farm receives its main transformer by road transportation

Next renewables bidding round to be launched only in second quarter of 2021

By: Terence Creamer 23rd June 2020 The new head of South Africa’s Independent Power Producers Office (IPPO), Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro, reported on Tuesday that the next bidding round for the procurement of utility scale renewable-energy projects, often referred to as Bid Window 5, would be launched only in the second quarter of... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro

Renewables statistics point to slow response to South Africa’s power constraints

By: Terence Creamer 22nd June 2020 New statistics released by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Energy Centre show that South Africa added only 100 MW of additional utility scale renewable-energy capacity in 2019, despite supply-side constraints and an intensive period of load-shedding. In fact, the report... →

South Africa must rapidly implement measures to attract FDI − Leon

By: Simone Liedtke 10th June 2020 The South African economy finds itself on the edge of a fiscal cliff, especially as the Covid-19 pandemic has caused a “massive and rapid shock”, says law firm Herbert Smith Freehills partner and Africa co-chair Peter Leon. While the effects of the pandemic were initially localised to Asia,... →

Herbert Smith Freehills partner and Africa co-chair Peter Leon discusses the fiscal cliff edge that the South African economy finds itself on, and highlights some potential measures that can attract FDI into the country. Video: Creamer Media's Kutlwano Matlala. Editing: Creamer Media's Nicholas Boyd.

‘Remarkable’ rise in renewables value for money as costs continue to fall

By: Terence Creamer 10th June 2020 A narrow focus on the monetary value of yearly renewables investments is masking the “remarkable” improvement in value for money that has accompanied the sharp decline in solar photovoltaic (PV) and onshore wind costs since 2010. International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) senior analyst... →

Investec backs Pele Green Energy to expand in wind and solar

By: Bloomberg 9th June 2020 Pele Green Energy plans to expand its wind and solar projects in Africa after raising capital with the help of Investec, a South African and UK specialist bank. The first round of financing was arranged through a preference-share funding arrangement that will invest in project equity and working... →

Accelerated renewables roll-out ‘one of the few substantial recovery opportunities’ open to South Africa

By: Terence Creamer 4th June 2020 The South African government is being urged to accelerate the implementation of its renewable-energy-heavy Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019) as part of the country’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery package. Meridian Economics MD Dr Grové Steyn, who is currently modelling the economic... →

Placing green stimulus at heart of South Africa’s postpandemic recovery would yield big co-benefits

By: Terence Creamer 4th June 2020 South Africa’s medium-term response to the Covid-19 pandemic provides a unique opportunity to reset the country’s unsustainable development pathway by fostering a “green recovery” that improves electricity and water security and creates jobs, Trade & Industrial Policy Strategies senior economist... →

Gaylor Montmasson-Clair

Responsible sourcing of critical minerals in focus as energy transition drives up demand

By: Terence Creamer 3rd June 2020 The accelerating pace and scale of the global clean-energy transition is poised to dramatically increase demand for critical energy minerals and metals, from aluminium to zirconium, with implications not only for the resources sector, but for geopolitics. The future energy system will be far more... →

Replacing world’s costliest 500 GW of coal with solar and wind would shave $23bn off system costs

By: Terence Creamer 2nd June 2020 Replacing the costliest 500 GW of coal with solar photovoltaic and onshore wind would cut power system costs by up to $23-billion a year and reduce annual carbon dioxide emissions by around 1.8 gigatons, equivalent to 5% of total global CO2 emissions in 2019, a new report shows. The study also... →

New Africa-focused IPP venture emerges following buy-out

By: Terence Creamer 1st June 2020 A new Africa-focused renewables independent power producer (IPP) has been formed following a buy-out of Building Energy’s Africa and Middle East business by a joint venture comprising Building Energy’s management and Inspired Evolution’s Evolution II Fund. Rebranded Red Rocket and headquartered... →

10MW solar plant in Tororo, Uganda

Wind energy market set new installation record in 2019 with 63 GW added

By: Donna Slater 27th May 2020 According to its second edition of its annual 'Supply Side Analysis 2019' report, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) reports that in 2019 a new supply side record, in terms of capacity for the wind energy industry, was set, with 22 893 wind turbines being installed internationally. These wind... →

Pandemic-induced slump in global energy investment risks locking in obsolete technologies

By: Terence Creamer 27th May 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic has set in motion the largest drop in global energy investment in history, with spending expected to plunge by $400-billion in 2020, a new International Energy Agency (IEA) report shows. Describing the slump as “unparalleled” and “staggering” in both scale and swiftness, the... →

IEA executive director Dr Fatih Birol

Bid documents for 2 000-MW emergency power being finalised after Nersa concurrence ‘milestone’

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2020 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) confirmed on Tuesday that the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) had concurred with a Ministerial determination submitted to the regulator in February for the procurement of 2 000 MW of emergency electricity from independent... →

IPP Office working on scheme to procure 128 MW of additional energy from existing wind and solar farms

Cape Town proposes national renewables procurement scheme for municipalities as it pushes ahead with IPP legal case

By: Terence Creamer 26th May 2020 The City of Cape Town is proposing the creation of a nationally coordinated renewable-energy procurement programme through which municipalities are empowered to procure electricity from independent power producers (IPPs). The City has adopted this position notwithstanding its long-running legal... →

Place clean energy at the centre of post-Covid-19 recovery efforts – IEA

By: Terence Creamer 20th May 2020 A new International Energy Agency report forecasts that the world will add 167 GW of new renewables capacity in 2020, a 13% decline when compared with record 2019 renewable-power connections of 192 GW. Besides being the first fall in new additions in 20 years, the Covid-19-induced downward... →

Wind body calls for privately funded renewables to be key component of recovery plan

By: Terence Creamer 19th May 2020 The South African Wind Energy Association (SAWEA) is urging government to include renewable-energy as one of the main components of any post-Covid-19 economic stimulus package, arguing that such infrastructure is particularly well positioned to support a much-needed economic recovery, as it would... →

Ntombifuthi Ntuli

‘All hands-on deck’ includes women in energy transition

By: Simone Liedtke 19th May 2020 There will need to be an urgent focus on the energy transition beyond the Covid-19 pandemic and the world will need “all hands-on deck”, including women, to achieve success in this regard, says Cape Town-based wind farm developer G7 Renewable Energies project manager Veronique Fyfe. Fyfe is also... →

Veronique Fyfe

REIPPPP projects to resume development

By: Donna Slater 18th May 2020 Law firm Fasken reports that Covid-19 lockdown regulations enforced with the commencement of the national lockdown on March 26, which restricted the operation of a number of industries in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, have been clarified with the publication of the latest directions... →

Renewables critical to reducing South Africa’s economic, energy constraints

By: Simone Liedtke 18th May 2020 South Africa’s energy demand “will grow exponentially” as South Africa further eases Covid-19-related restrictions and the strain on electricity supply experienced prior to the pandemic will likely return. This “will have massive implications” and likely have a compounding effect as the country... →

Sasol calls for IPP bids to supply 600 MW of renewable energy to South African operations

By: Terence Creamer 14th May 2020 Chemicals and fuels group Sasol has issued a request for information (RFI) for the supply of 600 MW of renewable energy to its South African operations so as to reduce its yearly greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by about 1.6-million tons. The closing date for submissions is Friday, June 5. →

Photo by Creamer Media
Sasol's Secunda complex in Mpumalanga, with power lines in the foreground

New venture set up to explore South Africa’s offshore floating wind-farm potential

By: Terence Creamer 13th May 2020 A South African renewable-energy company has teamed up with a Swedish floating wind-farm developer and technology designer to explore the development of large-scale floating wind farms offshore South Africa. In a joint statement released in Stockholm and Cape Town, Hexicon AB and Genesis... →

Herbert Smith Freehills releases guide to assist green energy developers

By: Donna Slater 12th May 2020 Professional services firm Herbert Smith Freehills says Africa-focussed developers and sponsors in the renewable energy market can fast-track project development and enhance bankability by using development funds (DFs). The firm lays out the plans and their benefits in a newly launched renewable... →

South Africa urged to leverage the full industrial potential of the IRP 2019 as part of post-Covid recovery

By: Terence Creamer 12th May 2020 The allocation, in the Integrated Resource Plan 2019 (IRP 2019), to renewable energy represents a major opportunity not only to diversify South Africa’s coal-heavy electricity mix, but also to create new domestic industries and jobs, Kearney senior energy principal Prashaen Reddy argues. To fully... →

Kearney senior energy principal Prashaen Reddy in conversation with Terence Creamer on the outlook for renewables in South Africa. Editing: Nicholas Boyd

Wind power likely a key building block for economic recovery

By: Donna Slater 6th May 2020 Wind energy representative organisation, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC,) along with signatories representing all the major international wind industry corporates and associations, reports that wind power is a key building block for economic recovery from the impact of Covid-19. In a... →

Mantashe seeks comment on draft regulations enabling municipalities to buy own power

By: Terence Creamer 6th May 2020 Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has released, for public comment, draft amendments to the Electricity Regulations on New Generation Capacity that would enable municipalities “in good financial standing” to develop or procure their own power generation. In a statement,... →

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

Covid-19 likely to negatively impact PPAs as power prices drop

By: Donna Slater 5th May 2020 Data and analytics company GlobalData states that, with a decline in power consumption and a drop in electricity prices resulting from offices and manufacturing plants being temporarily shut in line the Covid-19 restrictions, existing power purchase agreements (PPA) may be negatively impacted.... →

Renewable energy law proves 20 years success

1st May 2020 Since the introduction of the German Renewable Energies Act (EEG), the share of renewable energy in gross power consumption in Germany has continually increased from 6.2% in 2000 to 42.1% in 2019. →

INEVITABLE POWER In Germany, regenerative energies are the number one power source

Energy uncertainty an opportunity for private sector

By: Theresa Bhowan-Rajah 1st May 2020 Owing to power generation and energy supply uncertainty in South Africa, renewable-energy solutions provider Economic Development Solutions (EDS) believes that this creates opportunities for private-sector participation in energy supply. →

Photo by Bloomberg
RENEWED AND ENERGISED There are obstacles hampering the growth of the renewable-energy sector

Renewables to be only energy growth source in 2020 as markets experience ‘biggest shock since Second World War’

By: Terence Creamer 30th April 2020 Renewables will be the only energy source to experience growth in 2020, as Covid-19 lockdowns trigger a plunge in demand for all other energy sources amid what the International Energy Agency (IEA) is describing as the “biggest energy market shock since the Second World War”. A new IEA report,... →

IEA executive director Fatih Birol

Eskom says all repurposing options on table for Komati, Hendrina and Grootvlei

By: Terence Creamer 28th April 2020 State-owned power utility Eskom insists that all options are on the table as it considers proposals for the repurposing of three coal-fired power stations – Komati, Hendrina and Grootvlei – that are scheduled to cease producing electricity between 2022 and 2026. The utility issued an expression... →

Komati

Opinion: Why should SA’s post-Covid-19 stimulus incorporate a big green-energy component?

By: Tobias Bischof-Niemz 24th April 2020 Governments around the world are grappling with ways to reignite their economies and limit the duration of recessions precipitated by the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. South Africa is no different. Naturally, the first response of the South African authorities has been to direct limited... →

GWEC launches Memorial Award in honour of late CEO Steve Sawyer

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 22nd April 2020 On the occasion of Earth Day, the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) has launched a memorial award in honour of its late CEO Steve Sawyer. The REvolutionaries: The Steve Sawyer Memorial Award will honour Sawyer’s life mission to pioneer the global energy transition, recognising young leaders in... →

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