South Africa’s current electricity transmission grid is generally constrained in the Cape provinces and unable to facilitate the connection of new utility-scale generation including that from solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind, says wind and solar energy facility developer JUWI Renewable Energies. Historically, the majority of South Africa’s electricity supply was provided by coal power stations, the majority located in Mpumalanga, with the power transmitted to the major load centres including those in the Cape. The national transmission grid is still set up in this way, despite the introduction of large-scale renewables, as the cost and time to upgrade this infrastructure is onerous.

The recent period of decreased loadshedding has been met with tremendous scepticism by a South African public who have been burnt more times over the past 15-plus years than a lump of wet coal. Most distant observers attribute the reprieve purely to the upcoming May 29 poll, and fully expect a return of intense power disruptions once the electoral dust has settled.

Metair is still very much open for business and the group is able to accommodate new clients should they need automotive components or energy storage solutions, says new CEO Paul O’Flaherty. O’Flaherty, now two months into the job after former CEO Sjoerd Douwenga bowed out, owing to health reasons, comes to Metair with executive experience at companies such as Absa, Group Five, ArcelorMittal and Eskom.

In an era marked by escalating climate concerns and the urgent need for sustainable energy solutions, the power transmission landscape is witnessing a profound revolution. At the forefront of this transformation is the increasing integration of renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power into the grid. This article delves into the multifaceted aspects of the grid services revolution, exploring challenges, strategies, market dynamics, policy frameworks, case studies and future outlooks, showcasing how these elements collectively pave the way towards a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

Yellow Door announced the successful completion of the development phase for the solar plant in February 2024.

Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec has inaugurated the 540 MW Kenhardt solar farm in the Northern Cape. In his keynote address at the event, on April 18, CEO Terje Pilskog commended how far the site has come to producing electricity for South Africa’s grid and reiterated the company’s commitment to the local market.

South Africa will use future drawdowns of its Gold and Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve Account to curb its debt burden, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana said, adding he was pondering tax hikes and expenditure cuts in the next post-election budget. Africa's most industrialised nation is grappling with an ailing economy and high debt ahead of a general election on May 29 that could see the governing African National Congress party lose its parliamentary majority for the first time since the end of apartheid 30 years ago.

Standard Bank head of Southern Africa’s oil and gas coverage Paul Eardley-Taylor has suggested that South Africa needs 13 GW of gas-to-power (GtP) capacity, rather than the 7.2 GW to 8.6 GW outlined in the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023. Speaking at mine ventilation solutions developer Howden’s Technology Day, hosted at Mintek, in Johannesburg, on April 17, he explained that this calculation was made by considering the need to overcome Stage 6 or even Stage 7 loadshedding, when Stage 6 was being regularly achieved, as well as ensure a 15% reserve margin for winter peak demand.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has initiated consultations on Eskom’s latest Regulatory Clearing Account (RCA) application for the 2022/23 financial year, where Eskom is requesting R9-million, its lowest RCA application since the utility began making yearly submissions under the claw-back mechanism. Given that the amount is less than 2% of Eskom’s allowable revenue for the year, Nersa is not required to undertake public hearings. Nevertheless, a consultation document has been published, with virtual hearings scheduled for August 2 and 4 and a decision expected by December 2.

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has belatedly moved to quell concern that its recent approval of a new loadshedding code of practice, which increases the number of potential stages from eight to 16, represented a signal that the prospect for higher levels of loadshedding was imminent. Following extensive public consultations undertaken by the National Rationalised Specifications (NRS) Association of South Africa, the third edition of the NRS048-9 standard was approved by the regulator for use by Eskom and municipal system operators during times of electricity constraint.