Vodacom investing R1 billion to boost network capacity – and combat load shedding
Mobile operator Vodacom says it will be investing R1 billion this financial year into boosting network capacity in KwaZulu-Natal – particularly in deep rural areas. From the investment, R700 million will go towards projects for radio access network, network capacity and upgrades, with R173 million allocated to improving core network infrastructure. The region plans to […]
Eskom warns of push beyond stage 6 load shedding as cold snap hits
Power utility Eskom has issued an alert urging South Africans to reduce electricity demand as it grapples with constrained electricity supply due to colder weather. The utility is already load shedding at all-day stage 6 until further notice – any further constraints or a spike in demand threaten to push outages even further. “Due to […]
Gas prices jump as strikes in Australia begin
Natural gas prices have jumped after strike action kicked off at two major liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities in Australia. The walkouts, in a row over pay and conditions, are taking place at Chevron’s Gorgon and Wheatstone plants in Western Australia. The US energy giant’s two plants account for more than 5% of global LNG […]
Electricity minister warns of more load shedding pain – until Kusile is back up
Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says he is confident that South Africa’s electricity situation will improve heading into the last quarter of the year, as the Kusile Power Station will be adding much-needed capacity to the grid, providing a buffer for increased maintenance elsewhere. However, until that happens, the country will continue to dance on a […]
ANC Applauds Eskom’s Remarkable Energy Improvements
In a recent media address following the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting of the African National Congress (ANC), President Cyril Ramaphosa expressed the party’s satisfaction with Eskom’s efforts to enhance energy availability. This development comes as a result of significant improvements made by the electricity supplier. During the NEC meeting, the Minister of Electricity, […]
Oil markets breathe a ‘sigh of relief’ after Russian mutiny was aborted
Oil prices pared early gains on Monday, tracking a broader calm in financial markets as investors watched warily to see if there’ll be further fallout from an attempted insurrection in Russia that could disrupt energy supplies from one of the world’s largest oil producer nations. Mercenaries led by Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner group of […]
Ramaphosa’s Battle to Secure Funds for South Africa’s Energy Transition
In recent statements, President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of securing funds to support South Africa’s Just Energy Transition. He echoed his sentiments expressed at the global summit on financing development and climate action in Paris, stressing that Africa should not be seen as mere beggars seeking charity. Recognizing the historical imbalances between the global […]
Eskom Reports Improved Power Generation Capacity and Breakdown Performance
Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, recently announced positive developments in its power generation capacity and breakdown performance at its major stations. This article aims to delve into the details of these improvements and highlight the factors contributing to Eskom’s progress. Additionally, it will address the remaining challenges that the utility faces in its ongoing […]
Projects to help South Africa’s electricity crisis are stalling – here’s why
South African renewable energy projects selected over a year ago to add generation from private producers and help end electricity shortages are struggling to reach financial close due to an escalation in costs and grid capacity, according to one of the developers. A dozen projects, with a combined capacity of more than 1,000 megawatts, remain […]
Good news for load shedding this week
Power utility Eskom says that generating capacity has been stable this week, allowing it to keep suspending outages during the day. The group said that load shedding will continue to be suspended from midnight until 16h00 each day, and moving to stage 3 in the evenings (16h00 to 00h00) until further notice. If the group […]
