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Coal & Diesel News

Eskom aims to keep breakdowns below 14 GW this winter as it cuts diesel budget

By: Terence Creamer 9th April 2024 State-owned electricity utility Eskom will reduce planned maintenance to 3 000 MW during the upcoming winter season and will seek to keep unplanned breakdowns to below 14 000 MW in a bid to navigate the high-demand period with limited loadshedding. During the summer period, from September to the... →

Sasol granted permission to use load-based limit to regulate SO2 emissions from Secunda boilers

By: Terence Creamer 8th April 2024 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy has granted Sasol South Africa permission to employ a load-based limit to regulate the sulphur dioxide (SO2) of its Secunda boilers in a decision upholding the JSE-listed group’s appeal of an earlier National Air Quality Officer... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Secunda complex

Eskom defends pollution record, saying it’s spending billions

By: Bloomberg 8th April 2024 South Africa’s State power utility, stung by reports about the health impacts of emissions from burning coal, said it’s spending billions of dollars to reduce them and has an ambitious target to reduce output of one of its most dangerous pollutants. Eskom Holdings said it’s committed to a... →

South Africa coal-plant closure delays risk thousands of deaths

By: Bloomberg 3rd April 2024 Delays to the planned closures of coal-fired power plants proposed by South Africa’s energy department could result in thousands of deaths from air pollution and lead to billions of dollars of health-related costs, an air-quality research agency said. The projection about the health impacts of... →

BLSA calls for immediate reworking of IRP, describing assumptions as ‘spurious’

By: Terence Creamer 2nd April 2024 Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), whose members include the largest domestic and foreign companies operating in South Africa, has added its voice to a growing chorus of opposition to the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) and has called for it to be “revised immediately”.... →

Business Leadership South Africa CEO Busisiwe Mavuso

Eskom to implement Nersa-approved electricity price increase from April 1

By: Creamer Media Reporter 28th March 2024 Power utility Eskom has confirmed that it will implement electricity price increases, as approved by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa), from April 1. The utility in October 2023 applied to Nersa for the approval of its Retail Tariff and Structural Adjustment Application and... →

Eskom's tariff increases from April 1

Draft IRP 2023 lacks environmental, health, climate commitments, says Life After Coal

By: Schalk Burger 27th March 2024 Coal phase-out campaign the Life After Coal Campaign, in its comments on the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023, said the plan has fundamental flaws and expressed skepticism in the plan's ability to ensure cost-effective electricity supply, energy security and to uphold the Constitutional... →

A coal-fired power plant operated by Eskom

Companies unveil Kelvin power station carbon capture pilot project

By: Schalk Burger 22nd March 2024 The 600 MW coal-fired Kelvin power station, in Isando, Ekurhuleni, has installed a 300 m3/h flue gas emissions capturing pilot project, which removes carbon dioxide (CO₂), nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides to make sulphuric acid, ammonium sulphate and ammonium bicarbonate (ABC) crystals. These... →

The carbon capture pilot plant at the Kelvin power station

IRP 2023 comment deadline fast approaching

By: Creamer Media Reporter 20th March 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the fast-approaching deadline for public comment on the draft Integrated Resource Plan of 2023 and stakeholders' likely reaction. →

IRP 2023 comment deadline fast approaching

South Africa should get off global regulator's 'grey list' in 2025, says Kganyago

By: Reuters 13th March 2024 South Africa's central bank governor said on Wednesday that he was confident the country would be removed from an international financial crime watchdog's "grey list" next year, given the work that is under way to fix identified issues. The International Financial Action Task Force (FATF) last... →

Photo by Creamer Media's Donna Slater
Reserve Bank governor Lesetja Kganyago

Energy industry’s methane emissions near record despite pledges

By: Bloomberg 13th March 2024 Global methane emissions from fossil fuels held near a record high last year, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its annual 'Methane Tracker' report, renewing concerns that governments and industry aren’t doing enough to stem releases of the devastating greenhouse gas. While the... →

Methane emissions in the oil and gas industry

Eskom mulls integration of Vgbe report recommendations into revised recovery plan but hints at ‘inaccuracies’

By: Terence Creamer 11th March 2024 Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says Eskom’s new CEO, Dan Marokane, will offer a comprehensive outline of a revised generation recovery plan that will seek to integrate recommendations arising from various expert reports into the state of the coal power stations, including the... →

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

GDP figures cap decade of negative GDP per capita growth – BLSA

By: Schalk Burger 11th March 2024 While the gross domestic product (GDP) growth for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 0.1%, growth was negative in terms of GDP per capita, given that population growth is outpacing it. "We have been trending lower since 2013, and have now crowned a decade of negative per capita growth. South Africans... →

Locomotives used by Transnet Freight Rail

Business, govt meet to discuss electricity, logistics reforms

By: Creamer Media Reporter 8th March 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the latest meeting held between senior business leaders and President Cyril Ramaphosa and his Cabinet; the feedback provided on efforts to tackle loadshedding; and a report back on the Transnet Recovery Plan and the reforms in the logistics sector. →

Business, govt meet to discuss electricity, logistics reforms

Move to formalise deal on injecting private skills into Eskom amid plan to add and recover 10.6 GW by end-2025

By: Terence Creamer 6th March 2024 Government and business have set a goal of increasing South Africa’s electricity generation capacity by 10.6 GW by the end of 2025 as part of ongoing collaborative efforts to tackle growth-sapping power disruptions and reduce the intensity and almost daily frequency of loadshedding by year-end.... →

Real progress being made against loadshedding in recent months, says Energy Council CEO

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th March 2024 The number of hours of loadshedding in South Africa has been cut by 67% over the past three-and-a-half months, Energy Council of South Africa CEO James MacKay highlighted on Monday evening. He was participating in an event in Cape Town, hosted by UK innovation agency Innovate UK, and UK... →

Energy Council of South Africa CEO James Mackay

Eskom says it is on track for permanent repair of Kusile stack by December

By: Terence Creamer 5th March 2024 Eskom insists it is on track to complete the repairs to the ducts in the west stack at the Kusile power station by December 2024, ahead of the March 31, 2025, deadline set by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) when it last year authorised the use of temporary stacks... →

Assessment of Eskom coal fleet warns ‘fixation on the EAF is a dead end’

By: Terence Creamer 1st March 2024 An expert assessment of the state of Eskom’s 14 coal-fired power stations conducted between March and May 2023 describes the prevailing “fixation” on the coal fleet’s energy availability factor (EAF) as a “dead end” that was leading to poorer plant performance. Conducted for the National Treasury... →

Eskom board tasks Marokane with three priorities in his first 100 days as CEO

By: Schalk Burger 1st March 2024 State-owned power utility Eskom's board of directors has tasked incoming CEO Dan Marokane to prioritise three key areas – assessing the generation operational recovery plan, reviewing Eskom’s unbundling plans and engaging with internal and external stakeholders – in his first 100 days in office.... →

Photo by Creamer Media
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane

South African researchers trawl through death records to assess coal impact

By: Bloomberg 29th February 2024 South African scientists plan to examine about 8.5-million death certificates to ascertain how many people the country’s dependence on coal for electricity is killing. The review is the first of its kind in Africa in that it will depend on actual data rather than modeling the effects of air... →

Multi-Party Charter reveals its plans to end loadshedding if ANC can be ousted

By: Darren Parker 28th February 2024 The 11 political parties that are members of the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) for South Africa have voiced a unified plan to end loadshedding once and for all if only they could collectively oust ruling party the African National Congress (ANC) at the upcoming national elections on May 29. The MPC... →

Watch Engineering News' coverage of the Multi-Party Charter (MPC) for South Africa's briefing on how it plans to end loadshedding, along with an exclusive interview with DA leader John Steenhuisen.

Sasol prioritising coal de-stoning investment as it seeks to allay fears over big Secunda output dip

By: Terence Creamer 26th February 2024 Energy and chemicals group Sasol has moved to address investor concerns that its yearly production at Secunda will need to fall to only 6.7-million tons for it to meet its goal of reducing the carbon-heavy Mpumalanga complex’s greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2030. Delivering his final results... →

Sasol CEO Fleetwood Grobler on the medium-term interventions being taken to ensure that Secunda's production profile remains above 6.7-million tons, while meeting 30% decarbonisation commitment. Recorded: 26.02.2024 Editing: Shadwyn Dickinson

Eskom insists downward EAF slide has been ‘arrested’ amid Stage 4 loadshedding

By: Terence Creamer 22nd February 2024 Eskom insists the performance of its unreliable generation fleet is on an improving trajectory, releasing a graphic-heavy statement on February 22 disputing a recent report stating that its performance continued “going backwards”. The statement, which was published only hours after loadshedding... →

Fiscal discipline in Budget, but 5% infrastructure expenditure increase ‘barely positive’ – Minerals Council

By: Schalk Burger 22nd February 2024 Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana maintained focus on fiscal discipline and balancing the need to address socioeconomic challenges facing the country, industry organisation Minerals Council South Africa said in response to the Minister’s Budget Speech on February 21. South Africa, however, needs... →

Minerals Council CEO Mzila Mthenjane

Energy Council of South Africa joins World Energy Council

By: Schalk Burger 19th February 2024 The Energy Council of South Africa has become a member of the United Nations-affiliated global body the World Energy Council (WEC), which will serve to strengthen the standing of the Energy Council of South Africa and provide access to a range of international resources and global networks, as... →

Loadshedding to reduce to Stage 2 from 10:00 on Friday

By: Creamer Media Reporter 16th February 2024 Eskom has announced that it will be reducing loadshedding to Stage 2 from 10:00 on Friday, following the return of additional generating units. The utility says emergency reserves are also adequate and it expects lower electricity demand. →

South Africa’s inaugural Grid Emission Measure highlights coal dependence

By: Bloomberg 14th February 2024 South Africa produced its inaugural official gauge of the carbon intensity of its electricity production, confirming its status as one of the world’s top producers per capita of greenhouse gases. The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and he Environment this month said that the country’s domestic... →

Eskom to downgrade loadshedding to Stages 3 and 4 from Tuesday

By: Creamer Media Reporter 12th February 2024 Power utility Eskom plans to downgrade loadshedding to Stage 3 from 05:00 on Tuesday. This will be followed by Stage 4 loadshedding from 16:00 on Tuesday to 05:00 on Wednesday. This pattern will be repeated until further notice. →

Ramokgopa denies President’s pre-Stage 6 SoNA assertions caused embarrassment and insists loadshedding ‘corner has been turned’

By: Terence Creamer 11th February 2024 Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has move to defend the statement made by President Cyril Ramaphosa in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday night that “the end of loadshedding is finally within reach”. This, despite South Africa rapidly descending into Stage 6 loadshedding... →

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

Business stakeholders find ‘election-oriented’ SoNA wanting

By: Marleny Arnoldi 9th February 2024 Business stakeholders agree that President Cyril Ramphosa was right to emphasise economic reforms in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on February 8, as these are critical to turning around the country’s dire economic performance and unemployment. Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA), for... →

South Africa's electricity and logistics crises remain a concern for business

Loadshedding, logistics, water crises key themes of SoNA 2024

By: Creamer Media Reporter 9th February 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses some of the key themes that emerged during President Cyril Ramaphosa's final State of the Nation Address of the current administration and how these affect the economy and business. →

Loadshedding, logistics, water crises key themes of SoNA 2024

Petrol, diesel prices to go up by more than 70c/ℓ on Wednesday

By: Darren Parker 6th February 2024 Both 93 and 95 unleaded petrol (ULP) and lead replacement petrol (LRP) are going to cost an additional 75c/ℓ from February 7. The cost of diesel is also going to increase. For 0.05% sulphur diesel, consumers can expect to pay an additional 73c/ℓ at the pumps and for 0.005% sulphur diesel an extra... →

Clear commitment to reform implementation needed in SoNA – Mavuso

By: Schalk Burger 5th February 2024 Business organisation Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busi Mavuso has urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to show a clear commitment to the hard work of reform implementation during his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) on Thursday evening. South Africa's electricity crisis remains a... →

Locomotives operating on Transnet Freight Rail's rail lines

DMRE to remodel draft IRP 2023 in light of new information, curtailment plans

By: Schalk Burger 1st February 2024 Many of the submissions the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) has received from the first round of public engagements about the draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 (IRP 2023) in January have revealed new sources of data to consider in the plan’s modelling, DMRE energy planning... →

Power lines with the Kendal power station in the background

Night loadshedding escalates to Stage 3

By: News24Wire 29th January 2024 Loadshedding will jump to Stage 3 at 16:00 Monday after a delay in the return to service of two generating units. "Over the past 24 hours, five generation units were taken offline for repairs. Additionally, the return to service of two generating units that were on planned maintenance was delayed... →

City of Tshwane approves report to lease two power stations to independent producers

By: News24Wire 26th January 2024 The City of Tshwane could be closer to an "energy-secure" metro, having approved a second report allowing it to proceed with the 40-year lease of its Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations to independent power producers. The mayor, Cilliers Brink, said the approval of the report followed... →

Africa’s flatlining electricity trajectory requires urgent intervention – IEA

By: Terence Creamer 24th January 2024 A new International Energy Agency (IEA) report on electricity highlights that per person electricity demand across Africa has been stagnant for three decades, making the continent a worrying outlier in electricity demand trends. As of 2023, 600-million people, or more than 40% of the African... →

Photo by IEA
Big divergence as African electricity demand flatlined over the past three decades and India and South East Asia's surged

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