Новости за 14.10.2021

State-owned electricity producer Eskom has identified a pipeline of ‘just energy transition’ projects valued at about R400-billion that it will seek to fund using concessional finance raised from international financiers that have committed to supporting decarbonisation initiatives in developing countries, including South Africa. Just Energy Transition GM Mandy Rambharos reported on Thursday that the pipeline includes wind, solar and gas and battery projects, some of which will be deployed at its decommissioning coal power stations... Читать дальше...

Consumer products multinational Unilever says it has produced dishwashing liquid, sold under its Sunlight brand, with captured carbon emissions. This aligns with the company's global Clean Future strategy to eliminate carbon derived from fossil fuels in its cleaning and laundry products by 2030.

The City of Johannesburg (CoJ) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with State-owned power utility Eskom with a view for City Power to potentially take over electricity supply for 14 areas in Soweto and Sandton. The affected areas include parts of Soweto, Sandton, Orange Farm, Ivory Park, Diepsloot and surrounding areas, in which Eskom currently holds the distribution licence.

Grid edge solutions and technologies hold considerable benefits for the country’s energy landscape and can play an instrumental role in decarbonising the global energy system, speakers noted during the Grid Edge Virtual Symposium, hosted by Siemens South Africa in collaboration with EE Business Intelligence, on October 14. South Africa’s energy system, in alignment with global trends, is being transformed, becoming more decentralised, using more renewables and turning electricity consumers into producers and consumers of electricity... Читать дальше...

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Thoko Didiza and Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan have both acknowledged the challenge that logistics has become in the agricultural industry, particularly over the last year. Speaking during industry organisation Agri SA’s annual general meeting on October 14, Gordhan mentioned that State-owned Transnet was considering various initiatives to improve inland and port logistics, including the private sector owning wagons on railway lines.

Vaal Special Economic Zone (SEZ) programme director Xola Sithole says the SEZ is seeking to position itself as South Africa’s “pre-eminent hub for the hydrogen economy”. In so doing, he says, the SEZ will participate in developing the hydrogen market primarily for Gauteng, and beyond, while simultaneously providing established hydrogen-based energy security for the businesses within the SEZ and Gauteng.

Right now, the market is recognising the higher likelihood of platinum being in deficit rather than in surplus in the mid-term years ahead, said World Platinum Investment Council research director Trevor Raymond on Thursday. Raymond expects pent-up up consumer demand for vehicles to reduce any surplus, along with the substitution of platinum for palladium, which he describes as being "very material". (Also watch attached Creamer Media video.)

The second phase of the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) will include the establishment of a new Social Employment Fund, which aims to support 50 000 work opportunities for common good in communities provided by organisations outside of the State. It will also include the establishment of the national Pathway Management Network as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention, Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said during a briefing on October 14.

Speaking during Agri SA’s annual general meeting (AGM) on October 14, outgoing president Pierre Vercueil highlighted how a defensive approach to land reform was of no help to anyone. He referred to the various pieces of legislation being amended or instituted – including the Deeds Registries Amendment Bill, the Land Court Bill, labour tenancy claims and possibly Section 25 of the Constitution – and how it will not necessarily translate to inclusive growth, which has remained an issue since 1994.

The use of clean hydrogen can help to address global greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions by 2050, but only if net zero emissions costs and prices are set by governments across the world, Deputy Minister in The Presidency Pinky Kekana said on October 14 during a keynote address at the Hydrogen Economy Indaba. Necessary steps include reducing the costs of producing hydrogen from wind and solar power, or providing the option of hybrid technologies, which Kekana said “offers a promising solution to cut emissions... Читать дальше...

As global momentum continues to grow across the hydrogen industry, South Africa’s opportunity to produce zero carbon hydrogen has “caught the attention of the global energy players”, says Trade, Industry and Competition deputy Minister Fikile Majola. Coinciding with this global growth in interest in green hydrogen is South Africa’s “extraordinary position to revolutionise its own economy and support green hydrogen” by becoming a producer thereof.

The South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the (Republic of) Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute (Kaeri), the South African State-owned entity announced on Thursday. The MoU was signed in a virtual ceremony, came into effect immediately, and has a term of five years. “Nuclear technology is essential to human life and, through this MoU, we are making this a global reality,” asserted Necsa Group CE Loyiso Tyabashe. The MoU will help advance Necsa’s vision... Читать дальше...

The economy of the Cape Town central business district (CBD) remained stable in 2020, despite Covid-19, with the official nominal value of all property set at R43.8-billion by the City of Cape Town, and with 31 new developments worth more than R6.9-billion in the pipeline. This is the key finding of the special Covid edition of the annual ‘State of Cape Town Central City Report 2020 – A year in review’, published by the Cape Town Central City Improvement District (CCID).

Over the past two years, Pretoria-based rare earth (RE) minerals refinery Rare Earth Refiners (RER) has designed, built and commissioned a demonstration plant for the green production of RE fluorides using a R15-million grant from the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA). REs, and especially neodymium trifluoride (NdF3), are extensively used in the production of permanent magnets used in electric vehicle (EV) and wind turbine electric motors.

JSE-listed Long4Life, which has reported a pleasing operating and financial performance for the six months ended August 31, has announced that Brian Joffe will relinquish his position as CEO at the end of the 2022 financial year, at which time he will take over as chairperson. Current chairperson Graham Dempster will then move to the deputy chairperson post.

Aeroengine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, airframer Airbus and fuel and energy group Shell jointly announced on Thursday that they were all working to massively increase the use of 100% sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), at an accelerated tempo, by long-haul commercial aviation. The use of SAF was essential if long-range airline operations were to achieve net zero carbon emissions. (All-electric propulsion would be suitable for short- and perhaps medium-range operations, while hybrid-electric and ...

The SA Canegrowers Association will present the outcomes of a recently concluded cotton diversification pilot project to the Sugarcane Value Chain Masterplan Task Team on diversification. "These findings represent an exciting new avenue for the sugar industry to explore in pursuit of viable diversification options for canegrowers in South Africa," the organisation states.

The world’s multilateral development banks (MDBs) must boost their green ambitions to stop carbon emissions from soaring in the most powerful economies, according to the 'Climate Transparency Report 2021'. Covid-19 lockdowns caused carbon dioxide emissions from the energy sector to fall 6% in 2020, but a rebound of 4% is projected across the Group of 20 nations this year. Argentina, China, India and Indonesia are expected to exceed their 2019 emissions levels before next year.

State-owned Transnet is investigating a second fire incident at the Port Richards Bay after a fire broke out at one of the terminals on October 13. The cause of the fire has not yet been established and an investigation is under way.

South Africa's biggest engineering union, Numsa, has rejected a new wage offer as a national strike that has already hit output at car maker BMW enters its second week on Thursday, employer body Seifsa said. The National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa), with around 155,000 members organised in the sector, have been on strike since Oct. 5 to press for higher wages, an action that could hit supplies of parts to make new cars and accessories.

A warmer planet will shape the type and amount of energy we use. Air conditioning is likely to become critical, while rich populations in temperate areas will save money by dodging heating costs during winter. But how will poor communities in hot locations protect themselves from rising temperatures? The last seven years have been the hottest on record. Heat waves have routinely caused record-breaking temperatures across the world in locations as far apart as Japan and Northern Ireland.

Eni is pulling out of plans to explore for oil with Sasol in a large block off South Africa’s southeast coast due to concerns over the technical challenges of drilling in deep waters, according to two people familiar with the decision. The people asked not to be identified as the matter is private.

Kosmos Energy and Ghana National Petroleum Corp agreed to buy Occidental Petroleum Corp’s oil assets in the West African country for a combined $750-million. Kosmos will pay $550-million while GNPC will pay $200-million for the Houston-based company’s interests in the Jubilee and TEN offshore fields, Occidental said in a statement Wednesday. The proceeds will be used to reduce Occidental’s debt.

Rich nations shouldn’t force South Africa to ban new coal-power projects and impose other conditions as a requirement for funding to help reduce its environmental footprint, the country’s energy minister said. Gwede Mantashe last month skipped a meeting with climate envoys from the UK, US, Germany, France and the European Union, where an initial amount of almost $5 billion in concessional loans and grants was discussed. South Africa’s environment and public enterprises ministers attended the talks, as did the deputy finance minister.

Telecommunications shared infrastructure independent owners, operators and developers IHS Holdings has announced the pricing of its initial public offering (IPO) of IHS Towers’ 18-million ordinary shares at a public offering price of $21 a share. MTN, in a statement issued on October 14, said that the underwriters of the offering will also have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 2.7-million ordinary shares from IHS Towers at the IPO price, less the underwriting discount.