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Storage News

Namibia aims to raise $450m to boost power generation

By: Bloomberg 20th November 2024 Namibia’s state-owned electricity utility plans to raise $450-million by selling bonds in the country and raising development bank loans to help the southwest African nation boost power generation. Namibia Power Corp. said it has signed loan agreements totaling €166-million ($175-million) with... →

Summit underscores importance of just energy transition, C&I industry

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 19th November 2024 It is imperative that South Africa and industry decarbonises and, with the transition towards more sustainable forms of energy already occurring, stakeholders should focus on how the transition is implemented in a just manner at the pace that is required, and the steps and strategies this would... →

Two more battery projects achieve financial close, next set of bidders to be announced within weeks

By: Terence Creamer 19th November 2024 Two more battery storage projects selected as preferred bids under South Africa’s first public procurement bid window (BW1) for the technology have achieved commercial close. The projects have a combined investment value of R4.7-billion and increase to 360 MW/1 440 MWh the amount of utility-scale... →

A group photo taken at the signing ceremony attended by Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, seated at centre

TotalEnergies, bp, Equinor and Shell to invest $500m to improve energy access in Africa, Asia

By: Schalk Burger 15th November 2024 Oil, gas and energy multinational companies TotalEnergies, bp, Equinor and Shell have made a $500-million joint investment commitment to create positive energy access impact for people in key regions over the coming years. The funds will help to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG... →

Energy council calls for overhaul of public IPP procurement model

By: Terence Creamer 13th November 2024 The Energy Council of South Africa has called for an overhaul of the way government procures new electricity generation and storage capacity from independent power producers (IPPs), describing the current model as outdated. Addressing the Portfolio Committee on Electricity and Energy, CEO James... →

Energy Council of South Africa CEO James Mackay

Eskom opposes Nersa's granting of four new electricity trading licences

By: Creamer Media Reporter 8th November 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses Eskom's opposition to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's decision to grant four new electricity trading licences; whether Eskom's opposition to the granting of the licences came as a surpsie and what will happen next →

Eskom opposes Nersa's granting of four new electricity trading licences

BESS supporting renewable-energy integration

By: Nadine Ramdass 8th November 2024 With the South African government's Integrated Resource Plan encouraging renewable-energy integration, battery energy storage systems (BESS) are becoming a critical component in the country’s energy mix, supporting grid-tied and off-grid installations, says energy solutions specialists I-G3N... →

TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCEMENTS Advancements in I-G3N's solutions improve long-term performance while increasing the viability of BESS for large-scale applications

Eskom leads large-scale commercial BESS rollout

By: Nadine Ramdass 8th November 2024 State-owned electricity utility Eskom is leading the large-scale commercial rollout of battery energy storage system (BESS) technology in South Africa, aiming to demonstrate its feasibility and benefits, with Phase 1 currently under way and Phase 2 in development, says Eskom generation group... →

An image of Eskom's Pongola BESS site in KwaZulu Natal

PONGOLA 40MW SITE Phase 1BESS installations are strategically located in the Western Cape, Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal

Balancell moves into bigger, new factory, seeks strict regulations on imports

By: Irma Venter 8th November 2024 Energy storage company Balancell has cut the ribbon on its new R80-million assembly plant in Ndabeni, Cape Town. The lithium ferro-phosphate battery assembler’s previous facility was limited to 250 MWh capacity a year, with the new operation scaled up to 1 GWh. →

Supportive regulatory environment advances BESS

By: Nadine Ramdass 8th November 2024 State-owned electricity utility Eskom, with the South African government, has made significant progress in supporting battery energy storage systems (BESS), which is pivotal in ensuring energy security, load shifting and grid stabilisation at utility scale in South Africa, says independent power... →

ACCELERATING GROWTH Incentives for local and international investors to rapidly deploy and expand BESS projects have created a favourable environment for accelerating energy storage solutions development

Eskom secures R125m grant from AFD to advance Tubatse pumped storage project

By: Terence Creamer 7th November 2024 Eskom has signed a R125-million grant agreement with Agence Française de Développement (AFD) to support the development of the proposed Tubatse pumped storage system project, located in the Elias Motsoaledi Local Municipality in Limpopo. The 1.5 GW Tubatse project, which would be pursued as a... →

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane

Scatec’s new sub-Saharan Africa head keen to advance 5GW project pipeline

By: Terence Creamer 6th November 2024 The newly appointed head of Scatec’s sub-Saharan Africa business, Alberto Gambacorta, says the group is pursuing a 5 GW pipeline of renewable energy and storage opportunities in the region and especially South Africa, which is already the Norwegian group’s global hub for engineering and... →

Scatec sub-Saharan Africa GM Alberto Gambacorta

South Africa will champion African energy priorities at G20 next year – Ramokgopa

By: Rebecca Campbell 5th November 2024 South Africa will use its position as Chair of the G20 (the group of 19 major global economies plus the African Union and the European Union) next year to champion Africa’s energy priorities on the global stage. So assured Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa in his keynote... →

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

R390bn in electricity investment ‘tangible evidence’ of benefits of reforms

By: Terence Creamer 30th October 2024 The first phase of Operation Vulindlela, which was set up jointly by the Presidency and the National Treasury to oversee structural economic reforms, unlocked R390-billion worth of investment in the electricity sector. The investment figure is included in the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement... →

Balancell moves into new factory, seeks strict regulations on imports

By: Irma Venter 25th October 2024 Energy storage company Balancell has cut the ribbon on its new R80-million assembly plant in Ndabeni, Cape Town. The lithium ferro-phosphate battery assembler’s previous facility was limited to 250 MWh capacity a year, with the new operation scaled up to 1 GWh. →

Ian de Vries

South Africa in talks with energy partners on loan guarantees

By: Bloomberg 25th October 2024 South Africa is in talks with its international climate-finance partners over the provision of guarantees for loans for the construction of energy-related infrastructure. “We are managing, in particular, issues with our international partners” around guarantees, said Joanne Yawitch, head of the... →

Off-grid EV charger programme launched in the Eastern Cape

By: Irma Venter 25th October 2024 Zero Carbon Charge (Charge), in partnership with the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC-EC), and together with the Eastern Cape provincial government, has broken ground on what it describes as an off-grid, ultra-fast, green electric vehicle (EV) charging network. Once... →

IPP procurement changes mulled to unlock 10 GW of renewables amid grid pressures and green industrialisation ambitions

By: Terence Creamer 21st October 2024 The South African government is considering far-reaching changes to the way public procurement of independent power producer (IPP) generation capacity is being carried out so as to accelerate deployments in a way that navigates the country’s prevailing grid constraints, while also creating the... →

Fibon to expand into wind, BESS and energy trading through Westbrooke partnership

By: Schalk Burger 18th October 2024 Renewable-energy company Fibon has formed a strategic partnership with asset management firm Westbrooke Alternative Asset Management to expand its range of renewable-energy products and offerings. The partnership provides Fibon with access to sources of capital to accelerate its growth and... →

Scatec making final preparations for construction of R3bn Northern Cape battery project

By: Terence Creamer 18th October 2024 Renewable-energy group Scatec says it is making final preparations to start construction of the R3-billion Mogobe battery energy storage system (BESS) project, which reached financial close on October 16. The 103 MW/412 MWh project is located near Kathu, in the Northern Cape, and has been awarded... →

Scatec has already developed the hybrid Kenhardt project in the Northern Cape, comprising 540 MW of solar PV and a 225 MW/1 140 MWh BESS facility

World moves into the Age of Electricity – IEA

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th October 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the International Energy Agency's statement that the world is moving into the Age of Electricity; how the critical minerals demand associated with this coming age is an opportunity for Africa; and what this could mean for South Africa. →

World moves into the Age of Electricity – IEA

First two private utility-scale battery projects reach commercial close

By: Terence Creamer 17th October 2024 Two projects selected as preferred bidders under South Africa’s inaugural Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP) bidding round have advanced to commercial close and will now enter construction. The projects, named Mogobe BESS and Oasis Mookodi, have a... →

Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa (centre) at the signing ceremony with (left to right) DMRE DG Jacob Mbele, EDF Africa VP Laurent Clement, Scatec business development VP Alberto Gambacorta, NTCSA interim CEO Segomoco Scheppers and IPPO head Tshifhiwa Bernard Magoro

Africa’s critical-minerals role highlighted as world moves into ‘Age of Electricity’

By: Terence Creamer 16th October 2024 With the global energy system moving into the “Age of Electricity”, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has again highlighted the central role of Africa in producing the critical minerals required to support the electrification of energy services previously dominated by fossil fuels, such as... →

IEA executive director Fatih Birol presenting the World Energy Outlook 2024

SPS selected to provide renewable-energy solution for significant Limpopo water supply project

By: Natasha Odendaal 11th October 2024 The Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) has selected asset management company Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) as the preferred bidder to deliver a renewable-energy solution for the first stage of the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP), a significant water infrastructure development... →

A map showing the location of the various OMMP infrastructure

France nears disbursement of second climate loan to South Africa

By: Bloomberg 9th October 2024 France is nearing the disbursement of a second loan to South Africa’s Treasury under the Just Energy Transition Partnership programme. “We are in the final stages of preparing a second loan,” adding to the €300 million ($329 million) it distributed about 18 months ago, David Martinon, France’s... →

Construction begins on Cape Town solar PV plant, battery storage tender released

By: Irma Venter 8th October 2024 The City of Cape Town (CoCT) has started construction on a R200-million, 7 MW solar PV plant, located in Atlantis, with the first electricity to be delivered by the end of next year. The tender for the engineering, procurement and construction of the plant has been awarded to the Lesedi... →

CoCT councillor Moosa Raise, CoCT Energy executive director Kadri Nassiep, Xanthea Limberg, Geordin Hill-Lewis and CoCT councillor Allister Lightburn

Govt, business set 3% growth target for 2025

By: Creamer Media Reporter 4th October 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses the partnership previously formed between government and business to tackle loadshedding and other crises; the launch of a second phase of this partnership and the areas of focus; and some of the potential risks to this partnership. →

Govt, business set 3% growth target for 2025

Hybrid solar PV, battery system to halve Penflex' reliance on grid power

By: Schalk Burger 30th September 2024 South African stationery and plastic products manufacturer Penflex will install a hybrid solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS), which will halve its demand for electricity generated by State-owned Eskom and sustainably cut down on its biggest expense. The impact of the sustainable... →

Penflex CEO Sean Stuttaford

Eskom seeks 36% tariff increase

By: Creamer Media Reporter 27th September 2024 Engineering News editor Terence Creamer discusses power utility Eskom's latest Multiyear Price Determination submission to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa, as well as the next steps. →

Eskom seeks 36% tariff increase

Next round of NDC’s critical test for meeting renewables-tripling goal – IEA

By: Terence Creamer 24th September 2024 The next round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) will be a critical test for the implementation of the COP28 pledge, made by nearly 200 countries in the United Arab Emirates last year, of tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. This finding is contained in a new... →

IBM develops two new models for energy sector forecasting

By: Schalk Burger 19th September 2024 Information technology company IBM has developed two new interactive models for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) GeoHub, namely the artificial intelligence (AI) model Electricity Access Forecasting, and the statistical geospatial model Clean Energy Equity Index. The new models will... →

The UNDP GeoHub dashboard

Metair to swing to interim losses

By: Creamer Media Reporter 18th September 2024 JSE-listed Metair expects to report a loss a share of between 2.7c and 3.3c for the six months ended June 30, compared with earnings a share of 48c reported for the six months ended June 30, 2023. The company says it is likely to post a headline loss a share of between 2.7c and 3.3c for the six... →

Phelan Green Energy signs agreement with Enercap for 1.5 GWh energy storage system

By: Schalk Burger 18th September 2024 South African solar energy company Phelan Green Energy has signed an agreement with United Arab Emirates-based energy storage technology company Enercap for the deployment of a 1.5 GWh Supercap energy storage system. The battery storage system will significantly enhance Phelan Green Energy's... →

Financial savings displacing loadshedding as main driver of residential solar market

By: Terence Creamer 5th September 2024 The South African market drivers for residential, commercial and industrial solar PV and battery installations have started shifting towards cost savings from security of supply as loadshedding wanes, GoSolar CEO Andrew Middleton asserts. Although installations in 2024 are likely to be well below... →

GoSolr CEO Andrew Middleton

Rebranded WEG committed to supporting customers meet their sustainability goals

By: Tasneem Bulbulia 5th September 2024 Electrical equipment manufacturer WEG has worked for a year to internally evolve its brand, rebranding from Zest WEG to WEG, and with this comes an increased focus on sustainability. WEG has established its presence in Africa over four decades under the Brazil-headquartered Zest WEG brand. →

Photo by Creamer Media's Tasneem Bulbulia
WEG Africa CEO Eduardo Werninghaus

President transfers legislation as part of steps to split mineral resources, energy portfolios

By: Creamer Media Reporter 28th August 2024 President Cyril Ramaphosa has transferred legislation previously administered by the Mineral Resources and Energy Minister to Mineral and Petroleum Resources Minister Gwede Mantashe and Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa respectively. This follows the announcement earlier... →

President Cyril Ramaphosa

Jindal, Zimbabwe in talks for $800m revamp of Hwange power plant

By: Bloomberg 28th August 2024 Zimbabwe’s State-owned power utility is in talks with Jindal Steel & Power over an $800-million upgrade of six units at its Hwange facility as it seeks to reduce blackouts. The plant is the nation’s biggest, with an installed capacity of 1 500 MW and it frequently suffers breakdowns that cause... →

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