Eskom

South African utility Eskom has selected contractors for 343 MW of battery storage projects to be deployed in remote locations with limited access to distribution networks, but in proximity to large-scale renewables.

President Ramaphosa’s speech this week included momentous plans for new solar and battery procurement as well as efforts to cut licensing and permitting delays as national utility Eskom scrambles to reduce the scale of black-outs.

The land will be available for lease in a competitive bidding process. Selected developers will be offered a 20-year contract and the possibility of deploying solar parks with a capacity of up to 100 MW. Eskom says the move will help alleviate South Africa’s energy crisis.

The weighted average cost of the electricity to be generated by the latest 975 MW fleet of solar projects procured by a national tender program has fallen more than 50% from the level recorded in the last such exercise, which was abandoned six years ago.

In what is being described by its developer as a national first, a 10 MW solar plant in the Northern Cape will generate power for the local business of Amazon Web Services, with the solar electricity to be delivered via the grid operated by national utility Eskom.

The funds should be allocated through multilateral and bilateral grants, concessional loans, guarantees and private investments. A task force will now seek to identify initial sources of financing for the electricity and coal mining sectors, as well as financing options for the development of electromobility and green hydrogen.

With the International Energy Agency publishing its latest five-year clean energy forecast today, pv magazine takes a look at the solar content of the 162-page document.

The city’s executive mayor has said his officials are working with staff at the national Treasury to draw up a program for municipalities across the nation to turn to independent generators for electricity.

Developers have until October 20 to submit bids with the Marula Platinum Mine having lost patience with unreliable power supply from the troubled state electric utility.

The South African Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) is requesting proposals for the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). The tender is intended to procure 2 GW of capacity in response to the chronic short-term electricity supply gap that is affecting the country and its mining sector. Renewables are also entitled to compete.