Search results

Johannesburg-based data company Teraco plans to build a solar PV plant in Free State province, after being allocated grid capacity by state utility Eskom. Electricity generated from the plant will be wheeled across Eskom and municipal power networks to Teraco’s operations throughout South Africa.

One of the continent’s biggest hybrid power projects, awarded under South Africa’s much-delayed risk mitigation IPP procurement programme, has reached financial close.

With elections looming later this year, under-pressure President Cyril Ramaphosa used his 8 February State of the Nation Address to extol the ruling African National Congress party’s successes since the end of apartheid. However, his administration’s failure to deal with key election concerns – the electricity crisis, high unemployment, poverty and crime – could lead the ANC into uncharted territory come polling day, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

Work has begun on the construction of a solar PV plant that will supply power to Glencore’s Rhovan vanadium mine and processing facility in South Africa’s Northern West province.

The ten largest renewable energy additions to African grids in 2024 fall into four distinct groups: Ethiopian hydro, other sub-Saharan African hydro, and wind and solar projects in North Africa and South Africa. African Energy has assessed the projects and whether or not they will be built in time.

Electricity trading platform Etana Energy will supply 195GWh of renewable energy to real estate investor Growthpoint’s retail, office and industrial sites around South Africa.

Trafigura subsidiary Puma Energy said it had snapped up a minority stake in South African renewable energy company MBHE Group.

South African state electricity utility Eskom has said a 10% curtailment exercise will unlock almost 3.5GW of transmission capacity for wind power generation in Eastern Cape and Western Cape provinces.

Toronto Stock Exchange-listed Africa Oil Corporation has received official approval to acquire a 6.25% interest in offshore Block 3B/4B from Eco, taking its total holding in the Orange Basin acreage to 26.25%. A drilling campaign is being planned for the area, where Africa Oil is looking to farm-out a share.

The latest version of the South African government’s Integrated Resource Plan, issued in early January and now open for public feedback, advocates the longer-term use of coal-fired power plants and reduces renewables’ role in the overall energy mix, prompting a strong reaction from industry observers, as critics claim it will set back the energy transition, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

The Armed Forces of Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) co-ordinator of military operations in North Kivu, Lieutenant General Fall Sikabwe on 16 January announced the launch of joint operations with Southern African Development Community (SADC) forces in eastern DRC, mainly drawn from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi. They will be targeting 23 March Movement (M23) rebels, who are widely believed to be backed by Rwanda.

The government’s latest Integrated Resource Plan, issued in early January, provided further details of South Africa’s plans for 7.2GW of new gas-to-power capacity to replace ageing coal-fired units. LNG is central to making that happen and a contract to develop an import terminal in Richards Bay has been awarded to the Netherlands’ Vopak.

It is unlikely electric cars will come to dominate African roads for decades, but in the likes of Kenya and Benin battery-powered buses, motorbikes and industrial vehicles could have a radical impact on urban environments and commercial operations. Investors are lining up to support e-mobility projects in the most attractive markets, but in many jurisdictions the lack of capital, infrastructure and policy support and the high cost of vehicles are holding back what could be a revolution, write Tonderayi Mukeredzi and Jon Marks.

London AIM-listed Chariot and the local H1 Holdings have bought out their erstwhile partner Neura Group to take full ownership of South African electricity trading company Etana Energy, at a price of up to $5.2m.

National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s approval of an electricity trading licence for the ambitious Anglo-American/EDF joint venture Envusa Energy highlights the growing role of traders in the electricity supply market.