Eskom flags further coal-closure delays ahead of official update

Eskom Holdings CEO Dan Marokane says the State-owned utility will outline its proposed approach in September in relation to the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations beyond 2030. Eskom has... 

Sasol says Secunda output at five-year high after coal destoning project

JSE-listed energy and chemicals group Sasol reported that its Secunda Operations, in Mpumalanga, achieved its highest annual production in the past five years during the 2026 financial year to June... 

Think electricity

Global statistics continue to reaffirm the role of electricity as the future dominant energy carrier. More and more energy services are being electrified, including through electric vehicles, while... 

Fossil generation ‘substituted’ by renewables in 2025 amid electricity tipping point

Record global electricity demand last year was met entirely by low-carbon sources, resulting in fossil fuels generation being substituted rather than supplemented, the Energy Institute’s... 

City of Johannesburg’s high operating expenditure dubbed ‘utterly unsustainable’

New research into the crisis afflicting the City of Johannesburg warns that the widening structural imbalance between the metro’s operating expenditure and capital expenditure (capex) poses a... 

Gap between policy intent and action must be closed to halt deindustrialisation

Steel and Engineering Industries Federation of Southern Africa (Seifsa) president Mervyn Naidoo has called on government to urgently close the prevailing gap between its stated commitment to... 

Alarm over tender cancellations

Infrastructure South Africa (ISA) has raised concern about the high level of tender cancellations, which it believes is having a negative impact on the construction market, as well as on meeting... 

Two entities shortlisted to bid to partner with Transnet on ‘LeaseCo’

Transnet has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to two shortlisted bidders that participated in an earlier request for qualification (RFQ) process relating to the creation of a railways... 

Measured ambition

South Africa’s planned R1-trillion infrastructure programme is undoubtedly a chance to revive the struggling construction sector and to stimulate industrialisation. After more than a decade of weak... 

Investment vehicle Zafiri launches with $176m to support African distributed renewables firms

A new investment vehicle dedicated to deploying long-term equity into distributed renewable energy businesses across sub-Saharan Africa has been launched with initial committed capital of... 

ZET says ExxonMobil agreement further strengthens LNG terminal’s commercial foundation

The Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET), which is aiming to build South Africa’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal at the Port of Richards Bay in KwaZulu-Natal, has signed heads of... 

Populist omen

South Africa is approaching the fifth anniversary of the deadly July 2021 riots and looting in an atmosphere that is again heavily laden with the threat of violence. It’s a fog made denser by the... 

Fossil generation ‘substituted’ by renewables in 2025 amid electricity tipping point

Record global electricity demand last year was met entirely by low-carbon sources, resulting in fossil fuels generation being substituted rather than supplemented, the Energy Institute’s... 

Nersa releases latest version of draft trading rules for public comment

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has called for public comment on revised draft rules for electricity trading as part of a second round of consultations after Eskom raised... 

Boshoek and Wonderkop smelters to be restarted after Glencore Merafe and Eskom finalise 62c/kWh terms

The Glencore Merafe Chrome Venture has announced that the Boshoek and Wonderkop ferrochrome smelters will be restarted, following the conclusion of the detailed terms and conditions of negotiated... 

Ramokgopa to seek Cabinet approval soon to extend tariff discounts to more industries

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has indicated that he intends approaching Cabinet in the coming weeks to seek approval to extend concessional electricity tariffs similar to... 

South African steel sector at deindustrialisation ‘inflection point’

The South African steel industry – encompassing the full value chain, from upstream producers to downstream manufacturers and fabricators – has been described as being at a deindustrialisation... 

Firm timetable needed

The deadline has arrived for the Eskom Restructuring Task Team (ERTT) to deliver its detailed proposal and implementation plan for establishing a new State-owned Transmission System Operator (TSO).... 

Two entities shortlisted to bid to partner with Transnet on ‘LeaseCo’

Transnet has issued a formal request for proposals (RFP) to two shortlisted bidders that participated in an earlier request for qualification (RFQ) process relating to the creation of a railways... 

Policy follow-through needed to ensure electricity reforms are ‘not in name only’

Business Leadership South Africa (BLSA) CEO Busisiwe Mavuso has called for policy follow-through to ensure that the restructuring under way in the electricity industry facilitates a transition to a... 

Bridge, not destination

How do people in Gauteng know when motorists are driving under the influence? They are driving straight! It is to this type of sardonic humour that residents in all three of Gauteng’s metros have... 

Eskom signs agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal as it seeks to advance 3 GW Richards Bay gas-fired power project

Eskom has signed heads of agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) with the intention of becoming the ‘foundation customer’ for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal that ZET intends... 

Traxtion says R1.4bn equity raise positions it for more rail investments as market opens

Independent railways operator Traxtion has concluded an $86-million (R1.4-billion) equity capital raise, which the company says has created the financial platform for yet further investments into a... 

NTCSA acknowledges ‘temporary bottleneck’ of R2bn in curtailment payments to IPPs

The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) has confirmed what it describes as a “temporary bottleneck” in curtailment payments to independent power producers (IPPs), with about... 

Countries prioritising domestic energy options amid ‘largest-ever energy security crisis’

Countries are increasingly prioritising domestic energy resources as they seek to reduce their reliance on imported fuels in response to what the International Energy Agency (IEA)  is describing as... 

Tau says Cabinet-approved industrial strategy to be backed by implementation plan

Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Parks Tau says the themes of decarbonisation, diversification, and digitalisation will now anchor South Africa’s Industrial Development Strategy, following... 

Distribution dilemma

During a recent joint meeting of the portfolio committees on electricity and energy and cooperative governance and traditional affairs it became clear there is some sympathy for Eskom when it comes... 

Ramokgopa to seek Cabinet approval soon to extend tariff discounts to more industries

Electricity and Energy Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has indicated that he intends approaching Cabinet in the coming weeks to seek approval to extend concessional electricity tariffs similar to... 

Eskom Green gears up to select private partners for initial 2 GW renewables pipeline

Eskom Green, which has now been officially launched, reports that it intends implementing an initial 2 GW pipeline of advanced utility-scale renewables projects in partnership with private... 

Eskom Restructuring Task Team outlines terms of reference for creation of TSO

The Eskom Restructuring Task Team (ERTT) has outlined the terms of reference guiding its deliberations on the establishment of an independent State-owned Transmission System Operator (TSO) that... 

Standard Bank outlines macroeconomic spinoffs from $30bn Rovuma LNG project

Standard Bank has published a bullish macroeconomic assessment of the giant Rovuma liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in northern Mozambique, which has been described as the largest commercial... 

Eskom signs agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal as it seeks to advance 3 GW Richards Bay gas-fired power project

Eskom has signed heads of agreement with Zululand Energy Terminal (ZET) with the intention of becoming the ‘foundation customer’ for the liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal that ZET intends... 

Nersa moves to consult on key building blocks in shift to electricity market competition

The outcomes of two public consultation processes initiated recently by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) are likely to have far-reaching implications for the country’s... 

South Africa increases tariffs on wide range of steel products to WTO bound rate

South Africa has officially raised import protection across a wide range of upstream and downstream steel products by between 10% and 30% – rates that are in line with the World Trade Organisation... 

Virtue of necessity

Following an embarrassing false start, the Department of Communications and Digital Technologies has set a deadline of early next year for the finalisation of a new draft of the national AI policy.... 

EU aims to use investor roadshow to convert €12bn pledge into South African projects

The EU, which announced a €12-billion investment package for South Africa in October, is undertaking investment roadshows in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban this week as part of efforts to... 

Cabinet urged to fast-track electricity reform roadmap as market enters critical phase

Independent power producer and licensed trader NOA has amplified a recent call for the publication of a Cabinet-endorsed electricity reform roadmap to ensure that the shift to the competitive... 

Eleven private train operators gear up for mainline entry after concluding access agreements

The 11 private train operating companies (TOCs), which were last year allocated slots on South Africa’s mainline rail network, have now officially concluded rail access agreements with the Transnet... 

Big and small pictures

Much has been written in recent weeks about the geopolitical factors now driving the energy transition. Particular attention has been given to how the attack on Iran by the US and Israel, which... 

Eskom flags big renewables ambitions as it starts work on 75 MW solar project alongside Lethabo coal station

Eskom has started construction of a 75 MW solar PV project alongside its Lethabo coal-fired power station in the Free State, which is expected to generate some 147 GWh yearly once at full...