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Financial commitments towards South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Investment Plan from the International Partners Group of western countries and multilateral organisations have expanded to almost $14bn, up from an initial pledge of $8.5bn, but the programme faces criticism over the slow disbursement of funds.

The third round of South Africa’s battery energy storage programme has attracted 33 bids from prospective independent power producers.

Financial close for the 105MWp Ukuqala solar PV plant is Mulilo’s sixth project to reach the milestone in 2024, indicative of the enormous potential in South Africa for IPPs to sign private PPAs for wheeled power.

Pele Green Energy has reached financial close for a major solar PV IPP that will supply power to the Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture.

Etana Energy, the South African electricity trading platform, has secured a $100m guarantee facility to support its growth. British International Investment and GuarantCo will each provide $50m in guarantees, in an arrangement designed to support the development of more renewable energy by offering IPPs greater certainty over future revenues.

CrossBoundary Energy (CBE) has raised an initial $140m tranche of senior debt from South Africa’s Standard Bank to fund commercial and industrial (C&I) power projects fuelled by renewable energy (RE) across Africa.

Construction has started at data company Teraco’s 120MWp solar PV independent power producer (IPP) project in Free State province. Power from the plant will be wheeled across the Eskom grid to Teraco’s own sites across South Africa.

The Oasis consortium, led by EDF Group and Mulilo, has reached financial close on three battery energy storage system (Bess) projects in South Africa’s Northern Cape and North West provinces. The projects are part of the first round of the country’s Battery Energy Storage IPP Procurement Programme (Besippp).

A consortium of TotalEnergies Renewables South Africa, Mulilo Energy Holdings, and Reatile Renewables have reached financial close on an agreement to supply 260MW of wind and solar PV energy to Sasol and Air Liquide at Sasol’s Secunda site in Mpumalanga province.

A manufacturing plant that will produce crucial components for fuel cells and electrolysers is expected to kick-start South Africa’s budding green hydrogen industry. But while Isondo Precious Metals is confident of making progress, many more upcoming large-scale GH2 projects remain stuck at pre-feasibility stage, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

South African state power utility Eskom is embarking on a solar power plant programme after obtaining licences to operate two solar PV plants, one in the Western Cape and one in Free State province.

The installation of a solar plant at Fortress’ Evaton Mall is the latest stage in a major programme of on-site, renewable C&I investment by the Gauteng-headquartered real estate group. Fortress also recently signed a 10-year wheeling agreement to use the Discovery Green renewable energy platform to buy electricity from a mix of utility-scale wind and solar sources.

Saudi developer Acwa Power has confirmed that the Redstone CSP plant in South Africa should reach its full generating capacity within days. In the 27 october statement, it also said its Kom Ombo solar PV plant in Egypt had reached full production capacity.

Several majors plan to soon follow Galp Energia to drill in Africa’s most exciting frontier play, while a number of potential partners contemplate farming-in to the Portuguese company’s Mopane asset. The potential for new discoveries and the likelihood of M&A activity has pushed the question of a future Namibian oil and gas industry to the top of the agenda, writes James Gavin.

Pretoria needs to find quick solutions to obviate a gas crisis before 2026. Large gas users say that apart from active engagements and some preliminary proposals, no practical and implementable strategies have so far been offered, muddling the future of the gas industry. Complementing public and private sector measures is seen as key to addressing the problem, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.