Sasol, Air Liquide conclude corporate PPA with Mainstream for 97.5 MW solar project

A 97.5 MW solar photovoltaic project will be constructed in the Free State following the signing of a 20-year corporate power purchase agreement (PPA) between Mainstream Renewable Power and... 

Baloyi selected to replace Grobler as Sasol CEO

Chemicals and energy group Sasol has announced the appointment of Simon Baloyi as its new president and CEO effective from April 1, 2024, when he will succeed Fleetwood Grobler, who will continue... 

Interim Infrastructure Manager set up to facilitate initial private access to rail network

Transnet has confirmed the establishment of an interim rail Infrastructure Manager, which will oversee the initial process of ensuring that the rail network is opened to private train operating... 

Transnet urged to engage before presenting a R100bn bail-out ‘invoice’

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has not “closed the door” on Transnet’s move to secure a reported R100-billion in balance-sheet support to assist with its recently released turnaround plan.... 

Language of incumbency

Two recent Eskom publications are heavily laden with the language of incumbency, which continues to go unchecked by a policymaker distracted by realpolitik rather than real solutions. The first is... 

There are already more clean-energy than fossil-fuel jobs and gap is set to widen

More people work in the energy sector today than in 2019, almost exclusively because of the growth in clean-energy sectors, which have employed more workers than fossil fuels since 2021, a new... 

Bill outlines broad ‘energy value chain’ mandate for State petroleum company

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has released a draft Bill for public comment outlining the establishment of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), which the... 

‘Open and transparent’ third-party rail access system by April

State-owned freight logistics group Transnet has confirmed that an open and transparent framework for granting private train operating companies’ third-party access to the South African railway... 

$1bn World Bank loan to support South Africa’s energy reforms and decarbonisation

The World Bank has approved a $1-billion Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support market reports under way in the country, as well as South Africa's low-carbon transition.   

Distribution crisis requires attention on same ‘scale and intensity’ as generation shortfall

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has described South Africa’s highly fragmented electricity distribution industry as a threat to energy security that warrants attention “on the scale and... 

End of the beginning

News that 67 municipalities that collectively owe Eskom R56.8-billion, or 97% of the municipal arrear debt of R58.5-billion owed to the utility at the end of March, have formally applied to... 

Eskom’s Hex battery the first of eight utility-scale projects being deployed across four provinces

Eskom has officially started operating the first of eight utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) projects being introduced as part of Phase 1 of a World Bank-funded programme to add... 

Regulator approves Eskom tariff discounts for ferrochrome groups

The Energy Regulator has approved six-year negotiated pricing agreements (NPAs) for ferrochrome smelters operated in South Africa by both Glencore-Merafe Chrome Venture and Samancor Chrome. The... 

Eskom fully prepared for recoding of 6.8m prepaid meters ahead of Nov 2024 deadline

Eskom insists its systems and strategies are in place to facilitate the seamless operation of the 6.8-million prepaid meters within its distribution areas after November 24 next year – the date by... 

Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy approved

Cabinet has approved the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) for implementation, with the goal of positioning South Africa as a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen.... 

UK pledges R20m to identify African critical minerals prospects

The UK will make R20-million in funding available to help identify the most bankable opportunities for African countries to attract investment into the processing of critical minerals. Boston... 

Invest in grids today, or face gridlock tomorrow – IEA

The International Energy Agency (IEA) is warning that investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure is failing to keep pace with renewables projects, and is leading to a large and... 

Power in policy

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has never disguised the fact that he believes that Eskom could be turned around and loadshedding ended if he was made the shareholder-minister... 

Eskom warns of another R23bn loss as loadshedding underpins R24bn collapse

Eskom has warned that it is likely to report another R23-billion-plus loss for its current financial year to the end of March 2024, having belatedly confirmed a loss of R24-billion (R12-billion)... 

Municipal credit risk a big challenge as Eskom gears up to implement virtual wheeling

The credit risk associated with municipalities in arrears to Eskom poses a challenge to the roll-out of the utility’s proposed virtual wheeling platform and is also likely to limit the ability of... 

Study under way into producing green direct reduced iron at mothballed Saldanha Works

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is moving ahead with a study into the production of green hydrogen directly reduced iron (gHDRI) at its mothballed Saldanha Steel Works, in the... 

Win-win solution

As outlined previously in this column, it makes sense to place exports at the heart of South Africa’s upcoming Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy, despite misplaced concern that this... 

Transnet’s recovery plan premised on securing govt capital injection

Absent an equity injection or debt relief from government, Transnet chairperson Andile Sangqu says the State-owned entity will not be able to deliver on what he described as a “credible” recovery... 

$1bn World Bank loan to support South Africa's energy reforms and decarbonisation

The World Bank has approved a $1-billion Development Policy Loan (DPL) to support market reports under way in the country, as well as South Africa's low-carbon transition.   

‘Height of folly’ to develop overreliance on aged coal plants for future supply

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says attention should shift to adding new and cleaner generation to the loadshedding-prone electricity system, acknowledging that it would be the “height... 

Pace of energy transition will define South Africa’s economic prospects – Olver

Presidential Climate Commission (PCC) executive director Dr Crispian Olver says South Africa’s energy transition and the pace at which it progresses will determine the country’s long-term economic... 

Standard Bank to finance 4 GW of renewables projects in next 12 months

Standard Bank reports that it has financed 400 MW of distributed generation since government’s recent decision to allow utility scale projects of any size to proceed without a licence even when... 

TSAM, Air Products and Sasol team up to showcase potential of locally produced hydrogen as transport fuel

In a milestone for South Africa’s nascent green hydrogen economy, three large corporates have teamed up to showcase the potential of using domestically produced hydrogen as a zero-emission... 

Export component of SA’s green hydrogen strategy will seek to lock in price subsidies

The initial export component of South Africa’s yet-to-be-approved Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy is not premised on the trade of scarce renewable electrons – converted into molecules or... 

Still no solution

For decades now, the issue of the debt owed by municipalities to Eskom has not only remained an intractable problem but one that has grown in both scale and in its potential to create financial... 

Cabinet approves Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy

Cabinet has approved the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) for implementation, with the goal of positioning South Africa as a major producer and exporter of green hydrogen.... 

UK pledges R20m to identify bankable African critical minerals processing prospects

The UK will make R20-million in funding available to help identify the most bankable opportunities for African countries to attract investment into the processing of critical minerals. Boston... 

Ramaphosa says loadshedding corner has been turned as another Kusile unit restarts

African National Congress President Cyril Ramaphosa claims that South Africa “has turned a definite corner as far as loadshedding is concerned”, adding that the levels and frequency of loadshedding... 

Three coastal provinces move to partner on green hydrogen ahead of finalisation of country strategy

The Eastern, Northern and Western Cape provinces have agreed to team up in a bid to position South Africa as a global hub for the production of green hydrogen and derivative products, as well as to... 

Small set of common ESG standards should govern access to capital for critical minerals investment – BHP

BHP CEO Mike Henry has called for a “small set of common standards” covering environmental, social, and governance (ESG) to underpin the access to capital required to unlock investment in the... 

Roadmap to ‘fundamentally reform’ freight logistics sector by end of this month

Government has committed to finalise a Freight Logistics Roadmap, outlining a sequenced set of actions to fundamentally reform the logistics system, by the end of October. The commitment was made... 

IDC reports surge in disbursements to R17.8bn despite economic headwinds

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) has reported a 147% surge in disbursements to R17.8-billion for 2022/23, up from only R7.2-billion in the prior year – a performance that is within... 

Why export?

When the topic of green hydrogen arises in South Africa, two concerns are commonly raised, and these will remain significant issues to address should South Africa eventually begin to develop the... 

Study under way into producing green direct reduced iron at mothballed Saldanha Works

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) is moving ahead with a study into the production of green hydrogen directly reduced iron (gHDRI) at its mothballed Saldanha Steel Works, in the... 

Kusile Unit 3 supplying 720 MW to grid, Eskom confirms

Eskom has confirmed that Unit 3 at the Kusile coal-fired power station is currently providing 720 MW into the electricity grid using a temporary flue that bypasses the flue-gas desulphurisation...