It's time to look up, not down, for South Africa's energy solution, says The African Climate Reality Project. In an apparent state of conflict over its energy policies, South Africa flounders as a victim of load shedding in the grip of Eskom’s continued reliance upon coal and now also must seriously review its ‘intended nationally determined contribution’ (INDC) and declare … [Read more...]
Fight against Limpopo coal power station raises water issues
Earthlife Africa Johannesburg is determined to stop yet another coal-fired power station from being built in water-stressed Limpopo. Last month, attorneys in the Centre for Environmental Rights’ Pollution & Climate Change team filed further papers on behalf of environmental justice group Earthlife Africa Johannesburg in this battle. Under the National Environmental … [Read more...]
Parkhurst’s offgrid power plan an SA revelation
The Johannesburg suburb of Parkhurst is nothing if not a technology trend setter. Last year, the local residents’ association took the decision not to wait for Telkom to come and lay fibre in the area, and put together its own tender for a private company to come in and cable homes up. In a striking example of grassroots democracy in action, residents voted with their … [Read more...]
Solving the Eskom problem and poverty simultaneously
The South African government’s plan to spend almost R1 trillion on nuclear power, and the nuclear agreements between SA and China, Russia, France, Korea have got me thinking. Imagine this scenario. The Russian state-run bank lends SA R1 trillion. SA pays this 1 trillion straight back to the Russian State-run Nuclear company Rosatom who spends a portion of this on building … [Read more...]
South Africa’s great thirst has begun
For many South Africans, the water crisis is already here. For others, research and projections show, it is only a matter of time – and perhaps not a great deal of time. Thanks to load-shedding, and a shortage of water when electricity is restricted, the thirsty future could arrive in major urban centres as soon as this summer. Early last year, four people died in violent … [Read more...]
New solar plants coming to sunny Northern Cape
Two new concentrating solar power (CSP) plants have been announced by the Department of Energy, to be built in the Northern Cape. Kathu Solar Park and Redstone Solar Thermal Power, which will both build 100MW capacity, were the preferred bidders in the third round of the government's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP), the department … [Read more...]
Stop complaining and do-it-yourself
Do you want things to be done, and done properly, in 2015? Then do it yourself. Behave as if government is not going to deliver any services, and if it does, see that as a bonus. The poor management and planning, deployment of loyal cadres not up to the job, attempts at state capture, corruption and weak political leadership of the last decades are now really adding up and … [Read more...]
Eskom is 21 days from going broke
Power utility Eskom is 21 days from going broke, the minister of public enterprises has confirmed. “Eskom will run out of money by the end of January,” Minister Lynne Brown said this week. Brown confirmed the “pressure on the company’s liquidity position”, but would not say how it would be resolved. “It must still be addressed,” she said. The only options appear to be a … [Read more...]
Leveling the playing field in SA’s electricity industry
Leveling the playing field in South Africa's electricity industry is important because big business has access to perks that homeowners don't have access to. A few examples of these are: before tax and before VAT investments ability to sell electricity to the national grid and be paid for it ability to be paid to remove themselves from the grid at short … [Read more...]
Worries over food shortages, price hikes amid power cuts
Experts warn that Eskom’s power cuts could have a disastrous affect on agriculture which could result in food shortages and a spike in food prices. According to the Sunday Times, CEO of Potato South Africa Andre Jooste said workers in pack houses could not work during load shedding. This, he said, creates backlogs, which in turn creates problems as produce has a limited … [Read more...]
How green is our city?
I thought that you might be interested in a green issue with the Cape Town City Council, writes our reader, Peter Brooks: Their CTCC is claiming to be green - and they are doing some good things, like supporting solar water heaters and large solar farms. City discouraging domestic PV generation However, they're doing their best, despite the capacity problems with Eskom, to … [Read more...]
Medupi delay in Unit 6 synchronisation likely
A further delay in the first synchronisation of Unit 6 at Medupi power station is increasingly likely. This was indicated at a briefing by Eskom's Medupi project manager, Roman Crookes, and the head of capital projects, Dan Morakane. The minister of Public Enterprises and other key stakeholders were being informed of this eventuality. In September 2014, the Medupi project … [Read more...]
Long-term solution needed to address acid mine drainage
Members of Parliament have heard that acid mine drainage is affecting the Vaal River system and causing problems in Mpumalanga and Limpopo. The Water and Sanitation Department has briefed Parliament's Portfolio Committee on solutions to the problem, particularly on the Witwatersrand. Pumping stations are removing scores of megalitres of dirty water from the western, central … [Read more...]
