Saudi-listed power generation and investor ACWA Power has signed a framework agreement that outlines the development of the first phase of the green hydrogen project in Egypt with a capacity of 600 000 t/y of green ammonia, with an investment in excess of $4-billion. This follows the sigining of a memorandum of understanding on December [...]

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) reports that criminals tampering with Transnet pipelines with intentions to steal petrol and diesel, have been successfully prosecuted following their arrest. A fuel thief was prosecuted and sentenced to ten years imprisonment in the Vrede Regional Court, in the Free State, for damage to essential infrastructure; while [...]

The application of State electricity utility Eskom for a six-year negotiated pricing agreement for the Glencore-Merafe ferrochrome smelter operation in Rustenburg, in the North West Province. This follows the ruling by the North Gauteng High Court on November 10 that Eskom is the supplier of the Rustenburg smelter and not the Rustenburg municipality.

Botswana has received unsolicited bids from investors to build a rail line to a Namibian port that will help avoid South Africa and its disintegrating logistics network. The 1 500 km Trans-Kalahari Railway project is gathering momentum as Transnet, the State rail and ports monopoly in Botswana’s southern neighbour, struggles to ship goods, according to [...]

Botswana has received unsolicited bids from investors to build a rail line to a Namibian port that will help avoid South Africa and its disintegrating logistics network. The 1 500 km Trans-Kalahari Railway project is gathering momentum as Transnet, the State rail and ports monopoly in Botswana’s southern neighbour, struggles to ship goods, according to [...]

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has approved an electricity trading licence for Envusa Energy – a joint venture between diversified miner Anglo-American and renewable energy company EDF Renewables South Africa (EDF). In November, Envusa lodged an application for a licence to trade electricity in South Africa’s Northern Cape, North West, Eastern Cape [...]

The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has extended the timeframe for submissions of public comments on the draft South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC) Bill, published in government gazette number 49711, of November 13, to January 15, 2024.   The Bill, according to the DMRE, aims to establish the SANPC, ensure proper governance [...]

South Africa’s National Treasury is considering withdrawing as much as half of the R497-billion of contingency reserves held by the central bank to help reduce the government’s debt load or fund public-sector wages. The Treasury and central bank are close to agreeing on terms of the draw-down from the Gold & Foreign Exchange Contingency Reserve [...]

A seventh preferred bidder under the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy’s (DMRE’s) Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) – the ACWA Power Project DAO – reached legal close on December 14. The project, with contracted capacity of 150 MW, is the seventh hybrid renewable energy project to reach legal close under the [...]

Pele Green Energy has secured R2.5-billion in funding from lenders including Nedbank Group to help it build renewable power plants including one ordered by Anglo American Platinum. The other creditors include Norfund and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), development finance institutions owned by the governments of Norway and South Africa respectively, said Gqi Raoleka, Pele’s MD. Nedbank will [...]

The South African government has released three requests for proposals (RFPs) for new electricity generation and storage capacity, including 5 000 MW of new wind and solar, 2 000 MW of gas-to-power and 615 MW/2 460 MWh of battery storage. Under the much anticipated and delayed seventh bid window (BW7) of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer [...]

The building of the R105-billion green ammonia project by Hive Hydrogen South Africa is poised to be a huge economic uplift for the Eastern Cape. The large project is the first phase of a multi-phase venture that will be constructed over 16 years. (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)