The Utilities for Net Zero Alliance (Uneza) has adopted a roadmap to 2030, targeting a total increase of renewable energy capacity within their portfolios to 749 GW by 2030, an increase of 2.5 times relative to 2023. The alliance members’ joint renewables ambition was announced this week alongside a grid infrastructure action plan.

Proconics' expertise aligns with national projects and is poised to contribute to Eskom’s Transmission Development Plan. Engineering Firm Proconics was among the 14 companies that joined the Eskom Transmission Owner’s Engineer (OE) Panel at a recent signing ceremony event held at Eskom headquarters in Megawatt Park.

The mining industry makes a significant difference in the lives and livelihoods of employees and society in South Africa through economic and socioeconomic contributions, but more can be done on the governmental administrative front to enable increased benefits, says Minerals Council South Africa chief economist Hugo Pienaar. He told Mining Weekly that the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy had expressed commitment to reducing red tape and processing applications, such as mineral right exploration applications quicker.

A new process being pioneered by energy companies such as Israel-based Helios and Netherlands-based Alkalium proposes the use of sodium metal rather than coal or hydrogen to refine iron-ore into direct reduced iron (DRI). Traditionally, iron is beneficiated by mixing iron-ore fines with coal. The iron oxide (Fe2O3), when heated in a furnace, undergoes a chemical transformation whereby the oxygen molecules from the Fe2O3 bind with the carbon molecules in the coal, creating carbon dioxide (CO2) as a by-product and leaving pure iron behind.

Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses South Africa's plans to stimulate local manufacturing around solar, wind and batteries.

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.

Midtier gold miner Pan African Resources’ concurrent rehabilitation at its Mogale tailings retreatment (MTR) project, located at the Mintails site, near Mogale City in Krugersdorp, Gauteng, is taking the steps required to repair relations with community stakeholders while ensuring value for the company and reducing damage to the environment.   Through concurrent rehabilitation, as the miner processes old tailings dumps, areas are reclaimed and rehabilitated, thereby ensuring a greater availability of land for alternate uses, including for industrial, housing, agriculture and renewable energy projects, among other uses. The removal of legacy tailings dumps will also reduce the dust pollution which has been prevalent in the area for a number of years, as well as improve the ground water quality over time, as determined by expert independent studies, says Pan African investor relations head Hethen Hira.

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.

Rio Tinto Group and Saudi Arabia’s state-backed Manara Minerals Investment Co. are among suitors considering bids for a stake in First Quantum Minerals’ Zambian copper mines, according to people familiar with the matter. Japanese trading houses Mitsui & Co. and Sumitomo Corp. have also been studying the assets, the people said, asking not to be identified as the talks are private. First Quantum is looking to sell a minority stake in its Sentinel and Kansanshi mines in Zambia and is seeking first-round bids in the coming weeks, they said.

The World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB) Group are partnering to provide at least 300-million people in Africa with electricity access by 2030.  The World Bank Group will work to connect 250-million people to electricity through distributed renewable energy systems or the distribution grid, while the AfDB will support electricity connections for a further 50-million people.