Rooftop solar could save municipalities billions on bulk electricity purchases

By adopting a cooperative rather than an oppositional stance towards rooftop solar, Gauteng municipalities in particular have an immediate opportunity to reduce the cost of their bulk purchases of... 

Important signals

Recent interventions by Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana and the National Treasury have helped shed light on issues that had hitherto been allowed to fester in dark corners. The most high-profile... 

All three components of R16bn Koruson 2 renewables cluster now operational

All three projects that make up Envusa Energy’s giant 520 MW Koruson 2 renewable-energy cluster are now officially operational, after 130 MW of the 140 MW Hartebeesthoek Wind Farm entered into... 

Transmission assets should be transferred to TSO at ‘appropriate point in future’

Eskom board chairperson Mteto Nyati has struck a somewhat cautious tone regarding the timing of the transfer of the utility’s transmission assets to the proposed independent Transmission System... 

Seriti unpacks big renewables ambition for coal heartland as first 155 MW wind project enters into operation

The first 25 turbines at Seriti Green’s Ummbila Emoyeni Wind Farm, which is rising in the coal heartland of Mpumalanga within site of the giant Secunda coal-to-liquids complex and in close... 

75 MW Northern Cape hybrid renewables-battery project enters into operation

A large-scale hybrid renewable energy project able to supply 75 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity to South Africa’s national grid between 5:00am and 9:30pm daily has been officially... 

Missed opportunity

The uptake of rooftop solar in South Africa has increased dramatically over the past five or so years, spurred initially by the extreme loadshedding from 2021 to 2024. Using satellite and other... 

Cabinet approves release of revised electricity pricing policy and market transformation paper for comment

Cabinet has approved the publication of the much-anticipated Revised Electricity Pricing Policy for public comment, amid growing affordability concerns following years of above-inflation tariff... 

AMSA insists ‘profitability within reach’ after reporting R1.49bn interim loss

Steel producer ArcelorMittal South Africa (AMSA) insists that it is fundamentally stronger than was the case 18 months ago and that “profitability is within reach”, after reporting a headline loss... 

SA signals intent to prohibit goods produced by forced labour after new 12.5% US tariff

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau reports that government will publish a Gazette notice requesting public comments on South Africa’s intent to issue regulations to prohibit goods... 

Distorted lens

Transitions are never easy. They are disruptive and are often fiercely resisted. South Africa navigated its own grand political transition in 1994, following a period of intense uncertainty and... 

Eskom flags further coal-closure delays ahead of official update

Eskom Holdings CEO Dan Marokane says the State-owned utility will outline its proposed approach in September in relation to the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations beyond 2030. Eskom has... 

Sasol says Secunda output at five-year high after coal destoning project

JSE-listed energy and chemicals group Sasol reported that its Secunda Operations, in Mpumalanga, achieved its highest annual production in the past five years during the 2026 financial year to June... 

Think electricity

Global statistics continue to reaffirm the role of electricity as the future dominant energy carrier. More and more energy services are being electrified, including through electric vehicles, while... 

Fossil generation ‘substituted’ by renewables in 2025 amid electricity tipping point

Record global electricity demand last year was met entirely by low-carbon sources, resulting in fossil fuels generation being substituted rather than supplemented, the Energy Institute’s... 

City of Johannesburg’s high operating expenditure dubbed ‘utterly unsustainable’

New research into the crisis afflicting the City of Johannesburg warns that the widening structural imbalance between the metro’s operating expenditure and capital expenditure (capex) poses a... 

Gap between policy intent and action must be closed to halt deindustrialisation

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) president Mervyn Naidoo has called on government to urgently close the prevailing gap between its stated commitment to... 

Alarm over tender cancellations

Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has raised concern about the high level of tender cancellations, which it believes is having a negative impact on the construction market, as well as on meeting... 

Two entities shortlisted to bid to partner with Transnet on ‘LeaseCo’

Transnet has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to two shortlisted bidders that participated in an earlier request for qualification (RFQ) process relating to the creation of a railways... 

Measured ambition

South Africa’s planned R1-trillion infrastructure programme is undoubtedly a chance to revive the struggling construction sector and to stimulate industrialisation. After more than a decade of weak... 

Investment vehicle Zafiri launches with $176m to support African distributed renewables firms

A new investment vehicle dedicated to deploying long-term equity into distributed renewable energy businesses across sub-Saharan Africa has been launched with initial committed capital of... 

ZET says ExxonMobil agreement further strengthens LNG terminal’s commercial foundation

The Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET), which is aiming to build South Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at the Port of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, has signed heads of... 

Populist omen

South Africa is approaching the fifth anniversary of the deadly July 2021 riots and looting in an atmosphere that is again heavily laden with the threat of violence. It’s a fog made denser by the... 

Fossil generation ‘substituted’ by renewables in 2025 amid electricity tipping point

Record global electricity demand last year was met entirely by low-carbon sources, resulting in fossil fuels generation being substituted rather than supplemented, the Energy Institute’s... 

Nersa releases latest version of draft trading rules for public comment

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has called for public comment on revised draft rules for electricity trading as part of a second round of consultations after Eskom raised... 

Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters to be restarted after Glencore Merafe and Eskom finalise 62c/kWh terms

The Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture has announced that the Boshoek and Wonderkop ferrochrome smelters will be restarted, following the conclusion of the detailed terms and conditions of negotiated... 

Ramokgopa to seek Cabinet approval soon to extend tariff discounts to more industries

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has indicated that he intends approaching Cabinet in the coming weeks to seek approval to extend concessional electricity tariffs similar to... 

South African steel sector at deindustrialisation ‘inflection point’

The South African steel industry – encompassing the full value chain, from upstream producers to downstream manufacturers and fabricators – has been described as being at a deindustrialisation... 

Firm timetable needed

The deadline has arrived for the Eskom Restructuring Task Team (ERTT) to deliver its detailed proposal and implementation plan for establishing a new State-owned Transmission System Operator (TSO).... 

Two entities shortlisted to bid to partner with Transnet on ‘LeaseCo’

Transnet has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to two shortlisted bidders that participated in an earlier request for qualification (RFQ) process relating to the creation of a railways... 

Policy follow-through needed to ensure electricity reforms are ‘not in name only’

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has called for policy follow-through to ensure that the restructuring under way in the electricity industry facilitates a transition to a... 

Bridge, not destination

How do people in Gauteng know when motorists are driving under the influence? They are driving straight! It is to this type of sardonic humour that residents in all three of Gauteng’s metros have... 

Eskom signs agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal as it seeks to advance 3 GW Richards Bay gas-fired power project

Eskom has signed heads of agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) with the intention of becoming the ‘foundation customer’ for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal that ZET intends... 

Traxtion says R1.4bn equity raise positions it for more rail investments as market opens

Independent railways operator Traxtion has concluded an $86-million (R1.4-billion) equity capital raise, which the company says has created the financial platform for yet further investments into a... 

NTCSA acknowledges ‘temporary bottleneck’ of R2bn in curtailment payments to IPPs

The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has confirmed what it describes as a “temporary bottleneck” in curtailment payments to independent power producers (IPPs), with about... 

Countries prioritising domestic energy options amid ‘largest-ever energy security crisis’

Countries are increasingly prioritising domestic energy resources as they seek to reduce their reliance on imported fuels in response to what the International Energy Agency (IEA)  is describing as... 

Tau says Cabinet-approved industrial strategy to be backed by implementation plan

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau says the themes of decarbonisation, diversification, and digitalisation will now anchor South Africa’s Industrial Development Strategy, following... 

Distribution dilemma

During a recent joint meeting of the portfolio committees on electricity and energy and cooperative governance and traditional affairs it became clear there is some sympathy for Eskom when it comes... 

Ramokgopa to seek Cabinet approval soon to extend tariff discounts to more industries

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has indicated that he intends approaching Cabinet in the coming weeks to seek approval to extend concessional electricity tariffs similar to... 

Eskom Green gears up to select private partners for initial 2 GW renewables pipeline

Eskom Green, which has now been officially launched, reports that it intends implementing an initial 2 GW pipeline of advanced utility-scale renewables projects in partnership with private...