Department says electrification scheme to be ‘repurposed’ to tackle R75bn backlog by 2030

The Department of Electricity and Energy has provided additional information about its proposal to repurpose the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) to meet the country’s 2030... 

Latest renewables survey points to strong 220 GW development pipeline

The latest edition of the South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey (SAREGS) has again confirmed that there is a strong and growing development pipeline of solar PV, wind, battery and hybrid... 

Scrap continues

When ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) initially announced in January that it would be closing the Newcastle mill and winding down its long-steel businesses in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and... 

Cesa urges coordinated action to translate infrastructure commitment into projects

Consulting Engineers South Africa (Cesa) has welcomed the commitment to infrastructure development as outlined in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement. However, CEO Chris Campbell says... 

Cabinet officially lifts PBMR from care and maintenance

Cabinet has officially approved the lifting of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) nuclear technology from care and maintenance. “This decision provides the South African Nuclear Energy... 

R6.7bn in savings secured under Targeted and Responsible Savings scheme

The National Treasury has started to quantify the savings it is expecting from its Targeted and Responsible Savings (TARS) initiative, which seeks to identify low-priority or underperforming... 

Industrial gas users call for Presidency-led intervention to avert ‘gas cliff’

The Industrial Gas Users Association–South Africa (IGUA-SA) is calling for the creation of a new structure under The Presidency to coordinate the actions needed to avert the ‘gas cliff’ faced by... 

Godongwana outlines plans for shifting spending focus towards infrastructure

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has outlined several initiatives being undertaken to finally begin shifting the composition of government spending from consumption to capital investment,... 

Treasury confirms support for distribution agency agreements as Eskom arrear debt rises

The National Treasury has confirmed that a scheme established to enable municipalities to write of arrear debt owing to Eskom by meeting various conditions, including keeping their current accounts... 

As expected, South Africa lowers inflation target to 3%

As anticipated, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana confirmed a lowering of South Africa's inflation target to 3%, with a 1 percentage point tolerance band on either side, in his Medium-Term Budget... 

Age of Electricity is here, IEA declares as it highlights energy security threats

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has declared that the “Age of Electricity is here” in its latest World Energy Outlook, which again underlines that electricity demand will grow much faster... 

World Bank-backed ‘payment for performance’ grant launched for metros

South Africa’s eight metropolitan municipalities are now able to tap into a new National Treasury grant, backed by World Bank funding of $925-million (about R16-billion), if they are able to show... 

Seriti Green CEO on the seamless transition of coal professionals to renewables in Mpumalanga

Seriti Green CEO Peter Venn says the ease with which individuals with deep coal industry experience have transitioned into renewable energy has been a remarkable aspect of the company’s recent... 

Mega 720 MW Karoo wind project, with 100 km self-build powerline, moves towards construction

A mega-scale wind project, which includes a 100-km self-build transmission line to connect into the national grid, is steadily advancing towards construction, which is currently anticipated to... 

Head spinning

Given the many moving parts in play currently within the electricity industry, there is a real risk of becoming distracted from what is truly important. Developments over the past few months alone... 

Industry calls for minimum local-content specifications in private grid projects

Following consultations with the Department of Energy and Electricity (DEE) on an initiative to procure new grid infrastructure from private consortiums, local Industry has again urged government... 

National Nuclear Regulator grants 20-year life extension to Koeberg Unit 2

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) board has granted a Long-Term Operator (LTO) licence for Unit 2 at the Koeberg nuclear power station, in the Western Cape, authorising the unit’s extended... 

Policy uncertainty could lead to future energy transition funding gap in South Africa – report

A new study that assesses the investments required to achieve electricity security in South Africa by 2050 while also meeting the country’s decarbonisation goals has reaffirmed that the least-cost... 

AMSA confirms Newcastle output has ceased, moves to appeal Labour Court decision

JSE-listed steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) has confirmed that production has ceased at the Newcastle Works, in KwaZulu-Natal, and that the process to place its long-steel business... 

Itac confirms modest reduction in ferrous scrap discount in newly Gazetted guidelines

The International Trade Administration Commission of South Africa (Itac) has Gazetted only modest changes to the contentious price preference system (PPS) for scrap metal, reducing the discount for... 

Amid delay to private grid tender, Ramokgopa indicates willingness to pay ‘premium’ to unlock industrialisation

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Rampkgopa has indicated that South Africa should be willing to pay a premium to ensure that the multi-billion-rand expansion of the electricity grid... 

R5.2bn Red Rocket solar park first and only project to emerge from Eskom’s land lease scheme

South African independent power producer (IPP) Red Rocket has reached financial close on a 300 MW solar PV project, which will be built at a cost of about R5.2-billion on land leased to it by... 

Shocked, not surprised

The latest edition of the Integrated Resource Plan for electricity, dubbed IRP 2025, has been Gazetted and its contents have not really come as any surprise. But that does not suggest it does not... 

Department says electrification scheme to be ‘repurposed’ to tackle R75bn backlog by 2030

The Department of Electricity and Energy has provided additional information about its proposal to repurpose the Integrated National Electrification Programme (INEP) to meet the country’s 2030... 

Department amends gas-to-power RFP and confirms new submission deadline

The Department of Electricity and Energy has amended the request for proposal (RFP) documentation for the inaugural procurement of 2 000 MW of gas-to-power and has also announced an extension to... 

Latest renewables survey points to strong 220 GW development pipeline

The latest edition of the South African Renewable Energy Grid Survey (SAREGS) has again confirmed that there is a strong and growing development pipeline of solar PV, wind, battery and hybrid... 

Exploration-driven mining revival would reignite industrialisation

Rather than focusing narrowly on minerals beneficiation, South African policymakers have been urged to pay much closer attention to reigniting and expanding the market for the country’s already... 

Despite some immediate CBAM reprieve, South African industry warns of serious potential fallout

A postponement from incorporating indirect carbon emissions into the European Union’s (EU’s) calculation of a product’s embedded emissions under its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will... 

Classifying Eskom’s coal fuel costs as fixed would damage SAWEM

Allowing Eskom Generation to classify the primary energy used by its coal power stations as fixed costs will undermine the objective of using the upcoming launch of the South African Wholesale... 

Sustaining Growth

It is now widely accepted that we live in a misinformation era – one where it has become acceptable, even fashionable, to be anti-science. Scientific consensus is making way for conspiracy... 

Seriti Green CEO on the seamless transition of coal professionals to renewables in Mpumalanga

Seriti Green CEO Peter Venn says the ease with which individuals with deep coal industry experience have transitioned into renewable energy has been a remarkable aspect of the company’s recent... 

Mega 720 MW Karoo wind project, with 100-km self-build powerline, moves towards construction

A mega-scale wind project, which includes a 100-km self-build transmission line to connect into the national grid, is steadily advancing towards construction, which is currently anticipated to... 

SAPVIA calls for immediate implementation of IRP2025

The South African Photovoltaic Industry Association (SAPVIA) has called for the immediate implementation of the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 (IRP 2025), which it says recognises solar PV as a... 

Industrial gas users welcome demand certainty created by IRP, but warn that supply questions linger

The Industrial Gas Users Association of Southern Africa (IGUA-SA) has welcomed the focus given to gas in the Integrated Resource Plan 2025 (IRP 2025), but executive officer Jaco Human says critical... 

Minister’s ‘State will lead, market will follow’ electricity assertion raises questions

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa’s insistence that the State will lead and the market follow in the procurement of new electricity generation, while simultaneously... 

IRP 2025 raises gas load factor to 50% as adjustments are also made to accommodate nuclear and ‘clean coal’

South Africa’s latest Cabinet-approved Integrated Resource Plan (IRP 2025) includes several policy adjustments that deviate from the least-cost scenario modelled, including a raising of the minimum... 

Malmesbury solar plant to be doubled to 10 MW as companies sign up for green electricity

The 5.6 MW first phase of the SlimSun Too Solar development, located in Malmesbury in the Western Cape, is in its final commissioning stage and will soon begin supplying wheeled renewable... 

Eskom outlines R320bn capex plan, eyes 2028 market return

Having finally announced the completion at the end of September of its generation build programme, which included two mega coal projects that ran years behind schedule and tens of billions over... 

Nersa launches market inquiry into impact of fixed charges on electricity customers

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has launched a market inquiry into the impact of fixed charges being levied by Eskom and municipal electricity distributors, which it claims... 

Content over form

South Africans are naturally strongly opposed to any more hefty electricity hikes, having borne above-inflation increases for years while power disruptions intensified and Eskom’s finances...