Podcasts about eskom ceo andr

In this regular Sunday Show with BizNews, Neil de Beer, the President of the United Independent Movement (UIM), delves into the “deeper plan” of former President Jacob Zuma's MKP that have hit the campaign trail “like it is three months before elections”, and says: “…this party is undoubtedly hungry, obsessive…very well funded and without a doubt filled with strategy.” He warns that a “strategic takeover” of government “is becoming more and more of a reality and I fear our opposition is not geared…” De Beer talks about South Africa's own Watergate: Ramagate - the ongoing Phala Phala saga of President Cyril's Ramaphosa's dollar-stuffed couch. He expresses concern that undeclared foreign funding of political parties makes South Africa “the badminton ball between all foreign states”. De Beer also describes how Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa's push for renewable energy projects mirrors the strategies advocated by former ESKOM CEO André de Ruyter. Furthermore, he gives his take on the Vodacom-Remgro merger controversy and the DTIC minister's unusual appeal against the Competition Tribunal's rejection of it. In another bit of good news, he outlines how the Government of National Unity (GNU) is forcing African National Congress (ANC) Ministers to become more responsive to the needs of their constituents.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula says former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter "brought load-shedding and then left". Mbalula was briefing the media on the outcomes of the party's national executive committee lekgotla. Recently De Ruyter did an interview giving advice to his incumbent Dan Marokane. Mbalula said his advice was filled with ideology and politics. 

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has released a draft Bill for public comment outlining the establishment of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), which the proposed legislation defines as the "State's energy champion and facilitator of energy infrastructure across the energy value chain". The Bill states that the Minerals Resources and Energy Minister will be the sole shareholder of the SANPC. The proposed legislation outlines a consolidation of the entities currently associated with the Central Energy Fund (CEF) - including PetroSA, iGas, and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) - and states that the company will pursue the "free carry model" outlined in the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, approved by the National Assembly in late October. While the proposed State-owned entity will focus primarily on oil and gas exploration and production, as well as midstream and downstream operations and infrastructure, the Bill outlines a broad mandate empowering the proposed entity to acquire, generate, manufacture, market or distribute "any form of energy", including renewable energy. Such a mandate may imply a possible overlap with Eskom, South Africa's vertically integrated electricity utility, which is itself undergoing far-reaching restructuring to separate its generation, transmission and distribution entities. Mantashe, who is a strong supporter of the continued exploration, development and use of fossil fuels in South Africa, has also indicated previously that a new State-owned company could seek to repurpose some of Eskom's retiring coal power stations to gas in a move that some commentators suggest reflects the Minister's aspiration to create an 'Eskom 2.0'. The proposal also featured during an explosive interview by eNCA of then Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, who revealed that he had received a request from the CEF to transfer Camden, Hendrina and Grootvlei to the CEF. For its part, the CEF defended its approach to Eskom as a request to intensify gas-to-power collaboration between the two State-owned entities. The official coal retirement plan has been thrown into question, however, amid intense power cuts and increasing political resistance to decommissioning, and there is a growing likelihood that the retirement schedule will be reviewed. This life-extension plan could well receive impetus from a report written by a Vgbe-led consortium and commissioned by the National Treasury. The report has not yet been published but is expected to make technical inputs on the feasibility of extending operations at the aged plants of Arnot, Camden and Hendrina. There has already been strong pushback against the recent retirement of Komati, even though the over 60-year-old station had only one of its nine units operating and producing at increasingly expensive rates when it was shut in late 2022. The Presidential Climate Commission recently provided President Cyril Ramaphosa with recommendations on how future decommissioning should be implemented, following extensive engagement with stakeholders relating to the Komati experience. A formal report from the commission is expected to be published soon. For its part, Eskom's latest Medium-Term System Adequacy Outlook confirms that the shutdown plan used in previous such reports is under review. Meanwhile, the Bill states iGas, PetroSA and SFF employees will be transferred to the SANPC once the legislation takes effect. The draft Bill was published in the Government Gazette on November 13, with a 30-day comment period.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has released a draft Bill for public comment outlining the establishment of the South African National Petroleum Company (SANPC), which the proposed legislation defines as the "State's energy champion and facilitator of energy infrastructure across the energy value chain". The Bill states that the Minerals Resources and Energy Minister will be the sole shareholder of the SANPC. The proposed legislation outlines a consolidation of the entities currently associated with the Central Energy Fund (CEF) - including PetroSA, iGas, and the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) - and states that the company will pursue the "free carry model" outlined in the Upstream Petroleum Resources Development Bill, approved by the National Assembly in late October. While the proposed State-owned entity will focus primarily on oil and gas exploration and production, as well as midstream and downstream operations and infrastructure, the Bill outlines a broad mandate empowering the proposed entity to acquire, generate, manufacture, market or distribute "any form of energy", including renewable energy. Such a mandate may imply a possible overlap with Eskom, South Africa's vertically integrated electricity utility, which is itself undergoing far-reaching restructuring to separate its generation, transmission and distribution entities. Mantashe, who is a strong supporter of the continued exploration, development and use of fossil fuels in South Africa, has also indicated previously that a new State-owned company could seek to repurpose some of Eskom's retiring coal power stations to gas in a move that some commentators suggest reflects the Minister's aspiration to create an 'Eskom 2.0'. The proposal also featured during an explosive interview by eNCA of then Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, who revealed that he had received a request from the CEF to transfer Camden, Hendrina and Grootvlei to the CEF. For its part, the CEF defended its approach to Eskom as a request to intensify gas-to-power collaboration between the two State-owned entities. The official coal retirement plan has been thrown into question, however, amid intense power cuts and increasing political resistance to decommissioning, and there is a growing likelihood that the retirement schedule will be reviewed. This life-extension plan could well receive impetus from a report written by a Vgbe-led consortium and commissioned by the National Treasury. The report has not yet been published but is expected to make technical inputs on the feasibility of extending operations at the aged plants of Arnot, Camden and Hendrina. There has already been strong pushback against the recent retirement of Komati, even though the over 60-year-old station had only one of its nine units operating and producing at increasingly expensive rates when it was shut in late 2022. The Presidential Climate Commission recently provided President Cyril Ramaphosa with recommendations on how future decommissioning should be implemented, following extensive engagement with stakeholders relating to the Komati experience. A formal report from the commission is expected to be published soon. For its part, Eskom's latest Medium-Term System Adequacy Outlook confirms that the shutdown plan used in previous such reports is under review. Meanwhile, the Bill states iGas, PetroSA and SFF employees will be transferred to the SANPC once the legislation takes effect. The draft Bill was published in the Government Gazette on November 13, with a 30-day comment period.

A change of Government is needed to save South Africa's State-owned Enterprises (SOEs). This after the horror management experience of former Eskom CEO André de Ruyter who tried “every which way to rectify the troubles and the travails that Eskom had and still has”, but did not have the necessary political backing - and failed in the end. That is the opinion of independent political analyst Eugene Brink who guides BizNews viewers through the contents of De Ruyter's explosive exposé of his time at Eskom. He says, apart from a change in Government, only some form of privatisation would be able to save many of the country's SOEs. - Chris Steyn Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox at 5:30am weekdays. Register here - https://bit.ly/3lfVRYP Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guest: Energy expert Chris Yelland joins Mike to explain his view that the attempt made on outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter's life was meant to intimidate credible professionals from applying for the top job at the ailing power utility.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded with an “emphatic no” to a question as to whether government considered outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to be a traitor, as implied in a recent statement by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who said “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”. Gordhan was speaking during a briefing convened by Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana after De Ruyter's resignation – submitted at 7:30 on Monday December 12, only days after Mantashe's comments – was confirmed by Eskom on December 14, following a media leak. “The emphatic answer is no [and] I'm not going to qualify the answer,” Gordhan said in response to a question on Mantashe's comments, which Makwana said were not in his “purview” to comment on. “It is absolutely unfair, and uncalled for, to use that kind of language for somebody who tried their best to get Eskom out of the mess that it was in, and on to a different kind of platform. “The more knowledgeable people amongst you know that the mess didn't start in 2019 - it didn't start in 2009, or 2010 or 2011 or 2012, it started a long time ago. “And there's a long list of people who must be held responsible for decisions that they didn't make the right way.” Gordhan said the comments by his Cabinet colleague were “unhelpful at a time when we need to engender confidence both in the institution and government”. He also paid tribute to De Ruyter for the sacrifices he had made in moving from the private to the public sector and for “giving his all to this particular national project”, while acknowledging government failures to ensure that more generation was added in line with De Ruyter's consistent call for an additional 4 000 MW to 6 000 MW of non-Eskom generation. POLITICAL SUPPORT CRITICAL Earlier in the briefing De Ruyter confirmed that his decision to resign had been made because he no longer felt he had the “support of the broader political economy”, which he described as “absolutely critical to enabling the success of Eskom going forward”. “Given recent media reports, I'm unfortunately currently in a position where I do not regard that position as being tenable and I have accordingly decided to step back to afford the shareholder and the board the opportunity to appoint a candidate to the position of group chief executive who may be better suited, better equipped for the strategic and operational objectives at hand.” De Ruyter had agreed to remain beyond his two-month notice period and would depart the organisation on March 31, 2023, to facilitate a smooth handover to his successor. Makwana confirmed that he had accepted De Ruyter's resignation when it was handed to him during a pre-scheduled meeting with De Ruyter on December 12 and that the board would work “tirelessly to ensure that we secure the next leader of Eskom”. BOARD TURNAROUND PLAN? Gordhan went to lengths to stressed that government remained committed to the strategy of improving Eskom's performance, while reforming the electricity supply industry, including the through unbundling of the utility and the creation of an independent grid company. However, no firm date was set for the establishment of the independent board of the National Transmission Company South Africa, despite a list of candidates having been compiled and handed to Gordhan. The Minister also underlined government's ongoing commitment to the Just Energy Transition (JET) strategy, which was being supported financially by several developed countries and which included plans to repower and repurpose coal stations that were scheduled for retirement. However, Makwana emphasised that the new Eskom board – which began work on October 1 and which he described as an engaged rather than a passive board – was working on a separate long-term turnaround plan to end loadshedding, which was currently being canvassed ahead of sign-off. “We're in key consultative engagements with the sharehold...

Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded with an “emphatic no” to a question as to whether government considered outgoing Eskom CEO André de Ruyter to be a traitor, as implied in a recent statement by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who said “Eskom, by not attending to loadshedding, is actively agitating for the overthrow of the State”. Gordhan was speaking during a briefing convened by Eskom chairperson Mpho Makwana after De Ruyter's resignation – submitted at 7:30 on Monday December 12, only days after Mantashe's comments – was confirmed by Eskom on December 14, following a media leak. “The emphatic answer is no [and] I'm not going to qualify the answer,” Gordhan said in response to a question on Mantashe's comments, which Makwana said were not in his “purview” to comment on. “It is absolutely unfair, and uncalled for, to use that kind of language for somebody who tried their best to get Eskom out of the mess that it was in, and on to a different kind of platform. “The more knowledgeable people amongst you know that the mess didn't start in 2019 - it didn't start in 2009, or 2010 or 2011 or 2012, it started a long time ago. “And there's a long list of people who must be held responsible for decisions that they didn't make the right way.” Gordhan said the comments by his Cabinet colleague were “unhelpful at a time when we need to engender confidence both in the institution and government”. He also paid tribute to De Ruyter for the sacrifices he had made in moving from the private to the public sector and for “giving his all to this particular national project”, while acknowledging government failures to ensure that more generation was added in line with De Ruyter's consistent call for an additional 4 000 MW to 6 000 MW of non-Eskom generation. POLITICAL SUPPORT CRITICAL Earlier in the briefing De Ruyter confirmed that his decision to resign had been made because he no longer felt he had the “support of the broader political economy”, which he described as “absolutely critical to enabling the success of Eskom going forward”. “Given recent media reports, I'm unfortunately currently in a position where I do not regard that position as being tenable and I have accordingly decided to step back to afford the shareholder and the board the opportunity to appoint a candidate to the position of group chief executive who may be better suited, better equipped for the strategic and operational objectives at hand.” De Ruyter had agreed to remain beyond his two-month notice period and would depart the organisation on March 31, 2023, to facilitate a smooth handover to his successor. Makwana confirmed that he had accepted De Ruyter's resignation when it was handed to him during a pre-scheduled meeting with De Ruyter on December 12 and that the board would work “tirelessly to ensure that we secure the next leader of Eskom”. BOARD TURNAROUND PLAN? Gordhan went to lengths to stressed that government remained committed to the strategy of improving Eskom's performance, while reforming the electricity supply industry, including the through unbundling of the utility and the creation of an independent grid company. However, no firm date was set for the establishment of the independent board of the National Transmission Company South Africa, despite a list of candidates having been compiled and handed to Gordhan. The Minister also underlined government's ongoing commitment to the Just Energy Transition (JET) strategy, which was being supported financially by several developed countries and which included plans to repower and repurpose coal stations that were scheduled for retirement. However, Makwana emphasised that the new Eskom board – which began work on October 1 and which he described as an engaged rather than a passive board – was working on a separate long-term turnaround plan to end loadshedding, which was currently being canvassed ahead of sign-off. “We're in key consultative engagements with the sharehold...

Africa is joined by Prof Sampson Mamphweli, Director of the Centre for Renewable Energy at Stellenbosch University to talk about the advantages and disadvantages of replacing Eskom. The calls for Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan to fire Eskom CEO André de Ruyter is increasing daily as the country battles with constant load shedding.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Cabinet has officially endorsed the Just Energy Transition Partnership Investment Plan (JETP-IP) following a presentation it received at its latest meeting, held on Wednesday October 19. “After welcoming a presentation on the JETP and the JETP-IP, Cabinet endorsed the JETP-IP and expressed its appreciation for the detailed work undertaken to develop it,” the Cabinet statement released on October 20 reads. The statement notes that the JETP-IP outlines the investments required to achieve the decarbonisation commitments made by government, while promoting sustainable development, and ensuring a just transition for affected workers and communities. In a post-Cabinet briefing Minister in the Presidency Mondli Gungubele said that more details on the JETP-IP - which is backed by France, Germany, the US, the UK and the European Union and which is expected to be formally endorsed at the COP27 climate negotiations in Egypt next month - would be provided during a briefing that will be hosted soon by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Climate Change. At COP26 in Scotland last year the JETP partners made an $8.5-billion offer to support South Africa's transition away from coal and to support workers and communities that could be negatively affected by such a shift. Following COP26, South Africa established a Presidential Climate Finance Task Team, headed Daniel Mminele, to finalise the JETP-IP, which is expected to focus primarily on electricity sector projects, including much-needed investment into the grid, but also include funding support for the development of electric vehicle and green hydrogen industries. This week, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter again stressed the need for the bulk of the funding to be directed the way of the electricity sector and questioned the desirability of diverting concessional funds to the other two sectors. In the case of green hydrogen, he noted that surplus green electrons were a precondition for the industry's development and that that precondition was currently absent in a context where Eskom was having to implement loadshedding to stabilise the grid. De Ruyter also questioned whether concessional funding should flow to automotive companies and their shareholders. Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy noted that the $8.5-billion would translate to about R150-billion, which fell well short of the more than R1-trillion South Africa required over the period to transition to an energy system aligned with the decarbonisation pledge. However, she expressed the hope that the funding would serve as a catalyst for further private investment in support of the transition and encourage stakeholders to comment on the JETP-IP, which she said would be released for public consultation before year-end.

South Africa's Just Energy Transition Partnership (JET-P) investment plan, which will seek to unlock $8.5-billion in concessional funding for decarbonisation projects as well as for coal worker and community support programmes, is currently in the Cabinet process ahead of its anticipated launched during the COP27 climate negotiations to be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt next month. Addressing a Standard Bank climate conference on Tuesday, Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy also reported that the JET-P investment plan, once launched, would be released for public comment. “We are obviously urging that you would look at it, that you would understand it, that you would see how it lays out a vision for the way in which we would want to support the transition in these three sectors [of electricity, electric vehicles and green hydrogen]. “And what we're very sincerely hoping is that [the plan] would create appetite from the private sector and would begin to mobilise the significant quantities of financing that we're going to need over the next ten years,” Creecy said. She again stressed that, while the $8.5-billion being offered by the JET-P partners of France, Germany, the US, the UK and the European Union would translate to about R150-billion, it nevertheless fell well short of the more than R1-trillion South Africa required over the period to transition to an energy system aligned with the decarbonisation pledge it made at COP26 in Glasgow, Scotland in 2021. Creecy underlined the economic risks of not moving fast enough to decarbonise, highlighting that both Italian and Indian buyers of South African forest fibre used in garment manufacturing had cautioned her as the minister responsible for forestry that they would seek alternative sources of supply unless South Africa halved the carbon content of its forest fibre by 2030. While some of the country's main trading partners were planning to impose carbon border adjustment measures from 2026, Creecy warned that, even absent such restrictions, South Africa's top exports by value would become vulnerable to changes in global demand as countries decarbonised. That said, she stressed that the country's recently adopted Just Transition Framework insisted on the transition being implemented in such a way as to ensure that it not only enhanced energy security but also assisted the country in dealing with economic inclusion, job creation and poverty alleviation. “The climate transition has to assist us with our overall challenges as a developing country.” TRANSITION ‘INEVITABLE' BUT NOT A ‘BINARY DEBATE' Speaking on the same platform, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter described the energy transition as inevitable, saying “you just cannot hold back this wave with your bare hands, it is going to happen”. Nevertheless, he contested the proposition that the transition was a “binary debate” between coal and renewables. “Eskom, and hence South Africa, will be a very substantial consumer of coal for a very long period of time to come. “So the notion that somehow we will succumb to pressure from the ‘Global North' to sterilise all of our natural resources to satisfy pressure from international lenders is simply not substantiated by the facts.” Instead, as South Africa's old coal fleet reached retirement age it was uneconomical to extend their lives in a context where renewables provided the lowest-cost new electricity and could be built faster than any of the alternatives. There was also appetite, De Ruyter noted, from investors to make “risk-based investments” in renewable energy, without government guarantees, pointing by way of example to the recently announced Eskom land-lease deal in Mpumalanga for a possible 2 000 MW of new capacity. He then challenged South African bankers to “start taking more risk” and wean themselves off their “addiction to National Treasury guarantees”. “Now I know that it's tied up with a single-buyer model, [but] as soon as we open up the market,...

Four independent power producers have been named as successful bidders for the lease of grid-ready Mpumalanga land, which is being made available by Eskom as part of efforts to accelerate the development of wind, solar and storage projects in the province – investments that should, in time, help lower the risk of loadshedding and provide new employment and business opportunities in the region as coal plants are decommissioned. The entities identified as having secured the 25- to 30-year property leases for parcels covering a total of 6 184 ha of land near the Majuba and Tutuka coal stations are HDF Energy South Africa, Red Rocket, Sola Group and Mainstream Renewable Power Developments South Africa. The bidders, which were selected following a competitive process initiated in April, are now expected to finalise comprehensive feasibility studies to determine which technologies, and at what scale, they will build on the sites. In addition, they will need to secure private offtakers for the electricity, which will not be bought by Eskom and will, thus, attract no National Treasury guarantee, as is currently the case for the utility-scale projects procured under the government-run Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. Instead, the private generators will sign bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs) with private offtakers, and the projects should, thus, pose little or no financial risk to taxpayers or Eskom. The final technology mix and size of the projects is yet to be determined, but Eskom CEO André de Ruyter stressed that the leases include a “use-it-or-lose-it” clause so as to ensure that the utility retains some control should projects fail to meet certain developmental milestones over the coming months. Speaking at a signing ceremony, De Ruyter expressed confidence that the inaugural leasing of Eskom land would result in the development of wind and solar projects with a combined capacity of at least 2 000 MW over the coming 24 to 36 months, as well as the development of some battery storage capacity. The electricity would also be wheeled across the Eskom grid, generating revenue for the cash-strapped utility from existing assets in the province. It was also confirmed that Eskom would be issuing new tenders for other land parcels every quarter and that up to 30 000 ha could eventually be made available. The next phase, to be initiated in the coming months, will focus on properties around the Kendal and Kusile power stations in Mpumalanga, as well as the retired Ingagane power station in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. Efforts would be made, with the assistance of Operation Vulindlela, to ensure that various land-use and environmental authorisations were secured on an expedited basis that projects could proceed as soon as possible. “By making Eskom land available close to the power stations, where there is sufficient grid capacity, we have taken an innovative step to find the quickest way possible and within our scope of influence to boost the country's generation capacity,” De Ruyter said.

Four independent power producers have been named as successful bidders for the lease of grid-ready Mpumalanga land, which is being made available by Eskom as part of efforts to accelerate the development of wind, solar and storage projects in the province – investments that should, in time, help lower the risk of loadshedding and provide new employment and business opportunities in the region as coal plants are decommissioned. The entities identified as having secured the 25- to 30-year property leases for parcels covering a total of 6 184 ha of land near the Majuba and Tutuka coal stations are HDF Energy South Africa, Red Rocket, Sola Group and Mainstream Renewable Power Developments South Africa. The bidders, which were selected following a competitive process initiated in April, are now expected to finalise comprehensive feasibility studies to determine which technologies, and at what scale, they will build on the sites. In addition, they will need to secure private offtakers for the electricity, which will not be bought by Eskom and will, thus, attract no National Treasury guarantee, as is currently the case for the utility-scale projects procured under the government-run Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. Instead, the private generators will sign bilateral power purchase agreements (PPAs) with private offtakers, and the projects should, thus, pose little or no financial risk to taxpayers or Eskom. The final technology mix and size of the projects is yet to be determined, but Eskom CEO André de Ruyter stressed that the leases include a “use-it-or-lose-it” clause so as to ensure that the utility retains some control should projects fail to meet certain developmental milestones over the coming months. Speaking at a signing ceremony, De Ruyter expressed confidence that the inaugural leasing of Eskom land would result in the development of wind and solar projects with a combined capacity of at least 2 000 MW over the coming 24 to 36 months, as well as the development of some battery storage capacity. The electricity would also be wheeled across the Eskom grid, generating revenue for the cash-strapped utility from existing assets in the province. It was also confirmed that Eskom would be issuing new tenders for other land parcels every quarter and that up to 30 000 ha could eventually be made available. The next phase, to be initiated in the coming months, will focus on properties around the Kendal and Kusile power stations in Mpumalanga, as well as the retired Ingagane power station in Newcastle, KwaZulu-Natal. Efforts would be made, with the assistance of Operation Vulindlela, to ensure that various land-use and environmental authorisations were secured on an expedited basis that projects could proceed as soon as possible. “By making Eskom land available close to the power stations, where there is sufficient grid capacity, we have taken an innovative step to find the quickest way possible and within our scope of influence to boost the country's generation capacity,” De Ruyter said.

Whilst cleaning out his car on Friday last week, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter found that his car had been bugged with a "transceiver" that is "highly efficient in design". According to Sunday Times, De Ruyter discovered the "strange device" on the floor underneath the driver's seat.

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter said that Eskom's current operational models show it could have to implement stage 15 load shedding, but he is unsure of what that looks like.

The Minerals Council South Africa supports President Cyril Ramaphosa's electricity recovery plan and urges more rapid private sector participation in resolving the country's deepening electricity crisis. Minerals Council members have 6 500 MW of embedded energy projects in the pipeline which will ease demand pressures on Eskom, giving it the space to conduct much-needed maintenance programmes. The 89 projects by 29 mining companies are worth more than R100-billion. The mining industry's projects are part of the more than 8 000 MW of energy projects the private sector has planned, taking advantage of the removal of the 100 MW cap on licence-free embedded energy projects by President Ramaphosa in July. The plans outlined to stabilise South Africa's electricity supplies included, as a primary focus, the stabilisation and normalisation of Eskom, which declared Stage 6 load-shedding on Sunday after multiple plant failures. “It's critical we get stabilisation in the existing network while we in the private sector do what is necessary to get investment into the next stage of South Africa's energy chapter by developing alternative additional sources of electricity in the form of renewable energy,” Minerals Council CEO Roger Baxter stated in a release to Mining Weekly. “We know load-shedding will be a risk for the next two years, but we must continue to bring supplemental supply from the private sector on stream as quickly as possible,” Baxter added. There has been progress around the time it takes to register private renewable energy projects and access Eskom's grid, and in relaxing environmental permitting, but there are still unnecessary bottlenecks that are delaying investments. The Minerals Council and fellow business groups and energy users have raised these with the Presidency and relevant Ministers. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has said the utility needs up to 6 000 MW of additional electricity supply so its teams can conduct effective maintenance programmes on its fleet of aged power plants. The energy projects in the mining industry are largely for self-use as the sector strives to be a net-zero carbon emitter in line with commitments by its global peers by 2050. The industry has noted Eskom is willing to buy third-party generated electricity as outlined in the President's energy recovery plans, but at the moment mines are focused on supplying their own needs to take pressure off the national grid. As reported by Mining Weekly, Eskom aims to approach the market imminently with an offer to buy up to 1 000 MW of surplus electricity that it believes could be immediately available from existing independent power producers and large companies with their own generation capacity Mining companies that have opted to self-generate have found the business case to be exceedingly strong. Gold Fields' South Deep gold mine west of Johannesburg in Gauteng will be generating its own solar power at a mere 8.5% of the cost of power from the national grid. The JSE- and New York-listed company is also optimistic that it will be successful in augmenting the solar power generated with wind power. Gold mining company Pan African Resources, which began with 10 MW, is now targeting another 30 MW. From its pioneering 10 MW endeavour it saved R4-million in its first month of generation. Moreover, the energy transition under way globally presents a fresh opportunity for South Africa to build a clean and inclusive energy ecosystem that can create new and significant economic opportunities for the African continent. This continent, with its vast natural reserves of abundant sun and wind, provides an unmissable opportunity to both decarbonise and create significant new economic sectors – and many in mining have been committed for a long time now to play their role in making that opportunity a reality.

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has questioned the skills of Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, saying he isn't the type of leader Eskom needs at the moment. In an interview with the Mail & Guardian, the minister, who is also the national chairperson of the African National Congress, said that the power utility currently needs a "fixer", and De Ruyter isn't necessarily that person due to a skills mismatch. De Ruyter holds a Master of Business Administration from the Nyenrode Business University in the Netherlands, a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of South Africa, a Bachelor of Civil Law and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Pretoria. He is not an engineer, a sticking point for Mantashe, who said that running "technical machinery" requires "technical skills". The minister admitted to the Mail & Guardian that from a theoretical perspective, De Ruyter understands what is going on at the power utility. But there's a marked difference in speaking about Eskom's challenges with chief operating officer, Jan Oberholzer, who is an engineer. ". If you go to Eskom [and] you talk to the chief executive, at a theoretical level it's good. But when you talk to the chief operating officer [Oberholzer], who is an engineer, you feel the difference, because that engineer understands issues, he understands that to deal with load shedding you needs to maintain and service units that are not decommissioned, but not giving us megawatts," he said. Mantashe described De Ruyter as an "alpha" who joins an institution after the fixer has done their work. "Eskom needs a fixer, a person who focuses on what is broken, and [who will] try to fix what is broken, and once he or she fixes it, moves on. Then you can have an alpha," Mantashe told the publication. Mantashe also took aim at the Eskom board – which does not have an accountant or an engineer who arguably would be suited to deal with its debt burden and operational challenges. Mantashe said that the skills gap of executives and the board is something government should look into. The minister said that because Eskom does not fall within the oversight of his department, he does not have a say on who should be the CEO. News24 has reported that the ANC's National Executive Committee have heard calls for Eskom to be shifted to the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy, under Mantashe - which may be a point of debate at the upcoming policy conference. News24 also reported that Mantashe proposed a second state power utility to overcome energy supply constraints, and that President Cyril Ramaphosa has endorsed the proposal. De Ruyter joined Eskom in January 2020, after the country experienced Stage 6 load-shedding the prior year. Since he took over, he had to contend with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown eating into Eskom's revenue while trying to manage the debt burden and the restructuring of the power utility. In 2021, South Africans experienced their worst year of load-shedding with power outages occurring 13% of the time. De Ruyter, however, has been outspoken about the government's delayed decisions in getting generation capacity online in time, which has now escalated into the load-shedding South Africans experience. Government is set to announce a plan to resolve the energy crisis. Eskom declined to comment on Mantashe's comments.

Eskom CEO André de Ryuter reports that the utility will host its first roundtable with local and international energy experts on Friday, June 24 to discuss solutions to the country's electricity crisis and ongoing load-shedding. Speaking during a briefing to explain a decision to extend rotational power cuts, owing to a combination of coal plant breakdowns, delays in returning Koeberg Unit 2 to service, as well as a need to replenish diesel stocks at the open-cycle gas turbines and pump water into the upper dams at its pumped storage facilities, De Ruyter stressed that Eskom had no role in crafting energy policy. Nevertheless, it was hoping to make solution-oriented recommendations to the Department of Public Enterprises for possible consideration by government, which has made improving the security of electricity supply a top priority. “We've got a whole day set aside for this consultation. “The emphasis is going to be on solutions and how we can make recommendations [for removing] roadblocks that stand in the way of the rapid addition of more generation capacity to the grid,” De Ruyter said. “But again, I want to stress that it's not Eskom's job to make energy policy, we execute energy policy. “We're also not in the business of procuring electricity; that is done by the IPP Office, which reports into the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.” The utility is on record as saying that between 4 000 MW and 6 000 MW is required to help stabilise the system and to provide it with time and space to conduct proper maintenance across its aged coal fleet. In the meantime, power cuts have been intensifying, with 2021 having been the country's most intensive year yet for load-shedding and with 2022 set to be even worse. By June 22, Eskom had already implemented 54 days of load-shedding during 2022, up from 51 days during the same period in 2021. Load-shedding has also typically been implemented at higher stages, including periods during which Stage 4 has been declared, representing 4 000 MW of simultaneous rotational cuts.

The South Africa government and Eskom have signed agreements with three of the 11 projects named as preferred bidders in March 2021 under the much-delayed Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP). The 20-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) and associated implementation agreements were signed on June 2 with Scatec, of Norway, for three solar-battery hybrid projects that will provide 150 MW of dispatchable renewable electricity from 5:00 in the morning to 21:30 in the evening. The three projects were not initially included among the eight preferred bidder projects selected in March last year, but were added a few months later, increasing to 1 995 MW the capacity being procured under the RMIPPPP. The original list of projects was dominated by three Karpowership gas-to-power projects, which subsequently faced environmental and legal objections and obstacles that are yet to be cleared. Known as Kenhardt 1, 2 and 3, the first-of-a-kind projects will be built in the Northern Cape and will have a combined solar photovoltaic (PV) footprint of 540 MW and battery storage capacity of 225 MW/1 149MWh. The projects include a self-build component for the power line and substation infrastructure required ahead of connection to the Eskom grid. The bid evaluation price announced at the time of project selection was about R188c/kWh. The R16-billion investment will be funded through a combination of debt (80%) and equity (20%) and the projects have 60 days to achieve financial close, before entering into an 18-month construction period. Scatec estimates that 4 968 job opportunities will be created during the period. The debt is being provided by Standard Bank, which is also the mandated lead arranger and underwriter, and British International Investment, while Scatec (51%) and H1 Holdings (49%), a black-owned and -managed company, are the equity partners. Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog described the signing, which took place in Centurion, Gauteng, as a landmark and said the hybrid projects were not only unique in South Africa, but would also be among the largest renewable energy and storage projects globally. Pilskog also expressed confidence that construction would not be affected by supply chain disruptions, despite the fact that the bulk of the components were being source in China. Scatec and H1 Holdings also stressed that all local-content obligations would be met. Originally, solar PV modules were designated to be supplied 100% from South Africa, but that threshold was later reduced to 35% following engagement between the preferred bidder and the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition. Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe, who presided over the signing ceremony, indicated that he would like all 11 projects selected under the “emergency procurement round” to reach financial close, including the controversial Karpowership projects. He said the capacity was needed to reduce the ongoing risk of load-shedding, which he described as a “burning platform” for the country. IPP Office CEO Bernard Magoro said that there had been ongoing engagements with the other bidders ahead of the latest RMIPPPP deadline for financial close, but that none of the other projects were in a position to sign. He said no decision had yet been taken to disqualify the outstanding projects, and that every effort would be made to ensure that they too achieved financial close. “Should the remaining matter not be resolved, the department and other stakeholders will refer this back through the required governance structures to agree the next steps,” Magoro said. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter expressed delight at both the conclusion of the PPAs and the fact that the contracts were the first to include a new antibribery clause; one which would feature in all future procurement with IPPs. While far more capacity was required to reduce the threat of load-shedding, De Ruyter described the IPP market as vibrant and active, with 7 20...

Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe reported on Thursday that the Integrated Resource Plan of 2019 (IRP 2019), which is widely acknowledged to be out of date, will be reviewed. However, he said he could not yet provide a timeframe for the publication of the update or indicate what process would be followed. Speaking at a ceremony held to sign power purchase and implementation agreements for three solar-battery hybrid projects to be developed at a cost of R16-billon by Scatec and H1 Holdings in the Northern Cape, Mantashe indicated that the decision to update the document had been taken at a recent Cabinet retreat. He reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa requested his Ministers to identify “burning platforms” within their portfolios and that he had identified ongoing load-shedding as the key problem facing his portfolio and that of the economy. “The last three days, we have been locked away in the bush and the President asked us a simple question: what are the burning platforms in your areas of work? “In my area of work, the burning platform that we identified was load-shedding.” He said the decision to review the IRP 2019 had been made too recently to provide specifics on either the timing or process to be followed but indicated that it would involve an intensive reassessment of the plan's assumptions and likely involve public consultation. In the meantime, he said efforts would be made to accelerate the implementation of the IRP 2019 through a streamlining of procurement processes for the more than 13 000 MW already catered for in the IRP 2019. Besides seeking to conclude agreements for the eight remaining projects under the controversial Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP), following the signing of the first three project agreements, Mantashe was keen for Bid Window Five (BW5) of the renewables programme to close in line with the new staggered deadline and for BW6 to avoid any delay. In addition, he indicated that BW7 could be upscaled from the initial determination, which catered for the procurement of only 1 600 MW of onshore wind. Mantashe also said a gas-to-power bidding programme would be opened along with one for new coal, although he anticipated that the coal programme could face a legal challenge. The Minister lamented the time it was taking to complete the procurement of much-needed new electricity capacity and said a formula had to be found to cut the time it was taking for processes to be completed and “make it easier to do business in South Africa”. He also said that Eskom needed to do more to expand the grid and expressed the hope the unbundling of the transmission entity would open up the market as a “wheeler and dealer” in energy. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter responded by acknowledging the grid constraint, but also highlighted the opportunity that existed to build new generation in Mpumalanga where capacity already existed and where even more would become available as coal plants were decommissioned. IPP Office CEO Bernard Magoro said that many lessons had been learned from the RMIPPPP, which was the first procurement process to be implemented after the stalling of procurement in 2015 when Eskom's then leadership refused to enter into power purchase agreements with new renewables producers. He also said that it was working with Infrastructure South Africa and Operation Vulindlela to streamline the associated processes – including the securing of environmental authorisations and licences – that needed to be followed when procuring new generation capacity. “As government, we can do a lot to refine our processes,” Magoro said, arguing, for instance, that environmental authorisation appeals should not be taking as long to resolve as they were currently. A consultant had also been appointed to analyse the local market capacity for solar module manufacturing, in light of the concerns raised by bidders after modules were designated to be procured locally. “T...

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has highlighted three key resource advantages that he argues could transform the coal province of Mpumalanga into a global “flagship” of the just energy transition. In an address to the Mpumalanga Energy Summit, De Ruyter argued that the province's skilled human resources, its access to grid infrastructure and its solar and wind resources, which were superior to those in most other jurisdictions, even if not the best in the country, placed it in a strong position to transition to renewables. “The worst solar radiation in South Africa is orders of magnitude better than anything available in Europe, with the exception of Spain.” De Ruyter said that the province's coal heritage meant that it was already home to many technically skilled people, who could be retrained to build and operate renewable-energy plants, become employed in the manufacture of renewables components, or become active in other new industries emerging as a result of the repurposing of old power stations. Eskom plans to integrate a large retraining component to the repurposing and repowering of the Komati power station, which has been identified as pilot site for its initial just energy transition roll-out later this year. Speaking after an address by Premier Refilwe Mtsweni-Tsipane, he urged national and provincial government to pursue the development of a special economic zone in the province, where solar and wind components could be produced for domestic roll-out as well as for export. The province's extensive grid infrastructure was held up as a key competitive advantage to the province attracting new renewables investment, particularly given that Eskom estimated that it would take about ten years to extend the network to the Northern, Eastern and Western Cape provinces, where the country's best renewables acreage is located. Eskom is seeking to leverage that grid advantage in the near-term by inviting renewables developers to bid for long-term leases on grid-ready land in and around two of its power stations in the province. De Ruyter reported that 21 bids had been received from independent power producers keen to take advantage of the market reform allowing projects below 100 MW in size to proceed without a licence and to wheel electricity over the network. Eskom expects to announce the winning bidders by the end of June. Making the transition a just one, however, would require a leveraging of Mpumalanga's advantages in a way that prioritised support for workers, communities and businesses whose lives and livelihoods were tied to the coal value chain. However, it also required an acknowledgement of the inevitability of the transition from coal, including by vested interests that were currently engaging in a “concerted fight-back campaign”. “You would have seen media reports of extensive sabotage at some of our power stations. “This is completely deplorable and, to my mind, utterly incomprehensible that anybody would want to deprive hospitals, schools, businesses, factories and homes of electricity through acts of sabotage. “The irony, of course, is that those individuals engaging in these acts are, in fact, accelerating the demise of the coal fleet by making it less reliable.” Any just transition should also seek to secure concessional financing and spend such money “responsibly, wisely and without attracting corruption”. European Union (EU) deputy head of delegation Raul de Luzenberger confirmed that work was under way to advance the just energy transition offer made to South Africa as part of a political declaration concluded with the EU, France, Germany, the UK and the US at COP26 in November. The political declaration included an offer of $8.5-billion to support South Africa's transition. “In support of this partnership, France, Germany, and the EU have committed over R50-billion for the first phase of financing, through various mechanisms, like grants and concessional loans, increasing in the future as necessary,” De Luzen...

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has confirmed the registration of the first two 100 MW projects following the August 2021 amendment of Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act allowing sub-100 MW projects to proceed without a licence. Both solar photovoltaic projects are located in the Ditsobotla Local Municipality of the North West province and are being developed, financed, constructed and operated by the Sola Group, and its partners, for Tronox Mineral Sands. The projects will cost R3.2-billion to build. “The significance of this first move is that it will pave the way for many more large-scale private projects to receive approvals to be able to contribute to generation capacity to the grid,” Sola CEO Dom Wills says in a statement. “Further, this is a clear signal to the market that private power is achievable and there are private funders that are excited to finance this market.” The Presidency's project management office head Rudi Dicks also confirmed the registration of the projects with Engineering News, while Nersa confirmed them to be the first registration of projects larger than 10 MW. Sola tells Engineering News that registration took 73 days. African Rainbow Energy, which is Sola's largest shareholder and an equity partner in the solar projects, reported that the developments had received significant assistance from the Presidency, which has been working, through Operation Vulindlela, to ease the remaining red tape preventing such projects from securing registration. “These projects are starting to realise this commitment as well as African Rainbow Energy's commitment to use new technology to provide large-scale clean power solutions for the economy,” CEO Brian Dames says, adding that the company intends honouring its South Africa Investment Conference pledge to invest R3-billion in the domestic electricity sector. Dicks has reported previously that various systemic and project-specific actions are being taken to unlock an investment pipeline of 58 projects, with a combined energy generating potential of 4 547 MW and a combined investment value of R54-billion. These projects are being pursued by independent power producers (IPPs) in partnership with miners and other energy intensive companies. Besides Nersa registration, the projects are also battling to secure environmental impact assessment (EIA) authorisations as well as budget quotes for grid connection from Eskom. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has announced that the utility's Grid Access Unit has been beefed up to ensure the flow of cost-estimate letters and budget quotes for the projects, while Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reports that she has written to provincial environment MECs to enquire whether they require any assistance in processing EIAs. Sola reports that financial close of the projects is expected in July, following which the projects, which have a 30-year expected life, will require a construction period of 14 months before entering commercial operation. The developments, the company reports, will also make use of the electricity wheeling framework, enabled by Eskom. Under the mechanism, for which Eskom charges a wheeling fee, energy produced by an IPP in one Eskom connected area, can be sold to clients in other Eskom connected areas. “The advantage of the wheeling framework is that it allows perfect solar regions to be developed and used to provide power to perfect industrial and mining regions,” says Wills. He describes a perfect solar region as a flat area, with high solar resource, very little environmental or social impact, uncomplicated underground conditions and access to a strong grid node with good power evacuation potential. "The projects will have around 28 GWh of excess energy per year that Sola is marketing to interested Eskom-connected clients on a wheeling basis."

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has revealed that the utility is compiling a “consolidated proposal” on how to end the ongoing electricity crisis, including how to introduce much-needed new generation capacity in the shortest possible time. The State-owned utility estimates the current shortfall to be between 4 000 MW and 6 000 MW and has argued that, unless addressed, Eskom will continue to have limited headroom to address serious maintenance backlogs across its breakdown-prone coal fleet. De Ruyter, who has acknowledged that South Africans are tired of ongoing load-shedding, reported this week that Eskom was engaging with various local and international experts on the proposal, which will be delivered to both its shareholder department and the policy department once completed. De Ruyter has previously outlined various short-term measures that could be pursued to address intensifying load-shedding, including: implementing a three-year standard offer to buy the 500 MW- to 600 MW-worth of surplus electricity believed to be available from private generators; amending contracts with existing renewable energy independent power producers (IPPs) to unlock a further 200 MW that is currently contractually disallowed from injection into the grid; facilitating IPP plant improvements to add additional capacity at existing facilities; and debottlenecking the evacuation infrastructure servicing those IPPs to potentially unlock a further 200 MW to 300 MW. Eskom has also indicated its strong support for the cutting of the residual red tape standing in the way of more than 4 000 MW of distributed generation capacity that could be introduced as a result of a recent market reform allowing sub-100 MW projects to proceed without a licence. The utility will also lease grid-accessible land in and around its Majuba and Tutuka power stations to facilitate an accelerated uptake of the 100 MW opportunity. De Ruyter did not elaborate on the possible contents of the new proposal, but pointed to examples in other countries, such as Vietnam and India, where large amounts of new capacity was introduced in a short period of time following policy and regulatory changes. “So it is possible to add significant capacity quite quickly,” he said. “We are in the process of soliciting views and opinions with a view to putting forward a consolidated proposal to the policy department as well as our shareholder that can be used to resolve the electricity crisis. “I believe that there are levers to be pulled and that these can be pulled quite effectively. “But this is not something that is going to happen easily and certainly is not only within the purview of Eskom to make happen. “We are in the hands of a policy environment that needs to be conducive and needs to enable the addition of that capacity.”

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana reports that work is under way with the private sector to unblock the remaining obstacles to investment of about R54-billion in embedded generation projects. Speaking during a presentation of Operation Vulindlela's first quarter progress report, Godongwana said he was aware of frustrations over the slow pace of the structural reforms being championed under the initiative, including those designed to address the electricity crisis. However, he said that the majority of the 26 high-priority reforms had either been completed or were “progressing well”, with seven experiencing implementation delays or critical challenges. The progress update lists the emergency procurement of 2 000 MW of new generation capacity, as well as the initiative to improve the energy availability factor of the Eskom fleet to 70% as facing “critical challenges in implementation”. However, the progress dashboard marks as “completed” the reform raising the licencing threshold for embedded generation from 1 MW to 100 MW. The Presidency's project management office head Rudi Dicks said that a distinction needed to be made between the actual implementation of the 100 MW reform, which was unveiled by President Cyril Ramaphosa and Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe in June last year, and the “follow-through” required to ensure implementation. He said the announcement of the reform was “an important step” in itself as it set in motion a process of ensuring that miners and other energy intensive businesses reduced demand on the national grid by being allowed to develop their own generation. “When we look at a reform there is a particular objective . but underneath that there may be a number of other areas that constrain us in getting to the point of greater levels of investment, economic growth and employment,” Dicks explained. In the case of the 100 MW reform, the raising of the licensing threshold had unlocked a “robust investment pipeline” of 58 projects, with a combined energy generating potential of 4 547 MW. However, several obstacles remained in ensuring these were made “shovel ready”, Dicks said. A joint task team, involving government departments and agencies, the Minerals Council South Africa and the Energy Intensive Users Group was, thus, meeting weekly to track progress, resolve obstacles at an individual project level, as well as to address remaining constraints at a systemic level. Dicks reported that the task team is working to address the following issues: shortening the timeframes for environmental impact assessments and water-use licenses through the designation of embedded generation projects as Strategic Infrastructure Projects; creating dedicated capacity in Eskom to process grid-connection applications more quickly; putting in place wheeling frameworks and tariffs at the municipal level; and simplifying the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's (Nersa's) registration process, including by addressing onerous requirements, such as the stipulation that a power purchase agreement be included at registration. “All national departments, as well as Eskom, Nersa and the South African Local Government Association are cooperating actively to address these challenges,” Dicks confirmed. He said that, if cleared, projects could be connected between 2022 and 2024. During an earlier briefing, Eskom CEO André de Ruyter reported that more than 30 potential investors had participated in briefings held at the Majuba and Tutuka power stations, where the utility is preparing to offer 20-year leases to those investors seeking to take advantage of the 100 MW reform. He also announced that steps had been taken to improve the operation of its Grid Access Unit, which was responsible for issuing budget quotes for grid connection. “We have taken heed of the comments received from investors and also parties wishing to feed electricity into the grid, that our grid access unit processes were slow and cumbersome and...

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter, says R626 million has already been spent on diesel for the month of April. Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter says the plan is to drop load-shedding to stage 2 after the evening peak, with it possibly being lifted for the weekend after the Friday evening peak. Eskom says it had to implement stage 4 load-shedding on Tuesday after two units tripped. Speaking at a briefing updating on the power supply situation, De Ruyter said several units have been returned, but there was still a loss of 270MW due to maintenance on Cahora Bassa. Energy Expert; Ted Blom says Eskom CEO André de Ruyter is out of order and incompetent. 

Guest: Mike Rossouw | CEO at Independent Energy Thought Leaders Eskom reduced load shedding from Stage 4 to Stage 3 at 10 pm last night.  Wasanga is joined by Mike Rossouw, CEO at Independent Energy Thought Leaders to talk about Eskom CEO André de Ruyter media briefing held yesterday where he said Eskom employees and contractors at the Tutuka power station managed to steal spares worth R1.3 billion and had to write off the spares as they could not track them down. He added that the continued sabotage and criminal activity had resulted in Eskom stepping up security at its power stations. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Eskom CEO André de Ryter has warned that South Africa will not face a total blackout. But for how long will load shedding continue? Is solar power the future? An energy expect answered questions regarding solar power.

Eskom CEO André de Ryter has warned that South Africa will not face a total blackout. But for how long will load shedding continue? Is solar power the future? An energy expect answered questions regarding solar power.

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter says the power utility is facing two decades of unattended maintenance. Briefing the media yesterday, de Ruyter accused his predecessors of delaying the introduction of the Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme for a number of years. He says currently there was an additional 200 Mega Watts of power available from independent power producers, but contractually they are being prevented from feeding this into the grid, due to government regulations. Yesterday Eskom implemented stage 4 load-shedding after its Majuba unit 5 and Tutuka unit 4 tripped. For more on this, Elvis Presslin spoke to former Eskom CEO, Mr. Matshela Koko

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter www.moneyweb.co.za

Eskom CEO André de Ruyter

News headlines: *Eskom CEO André de Ruyter says that Eskom is investigating suspicious circumstances surrounding the breakdowns of several power stations. *Covid-19 tender issues continue unabated, as response from authorities remains scarce, and implicated companies remain in business with the government. *Today marks the 14th day after the local election results were declared and serves as the deadline for municipalities to elect or set up dates to elect new leadership.

‘We are very comfortable with the lender retaining control of the money up to the point where payment should be made in a bona fide manner to contractors': Eskom CEO André de Ruyter. www.moneyweb.co.za

‘We are very comfortable with the lender retaining control of the money up to the point where payment should be made in a bona fide manner to contractors': Eskom CEO André de Ruyter.

News headlines: *With 97% of the ballots counted, the Democratic Alliance and ActionSA, together with support of natural allies, appear to have won sufficient votes to take control of Johannesburg and Tshwane, SA's commercial heartland and its capital city. *With attention now on political parties forming coalitions, the ANC has said it is willing to work with any political party to form a stable government in the 52 municipalities with no outright majority. *Eskom CEO André de Ruyter has admitted that corruption is still rife at the power utility and that patronage networks still exist, saying it is clear that the networks created during the state capture years are still active.

Guest: Babalo Ndenze, EWN Parliamentary Corespondent. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Guest: Dr. Anton Eberhard will discuss the speech delivered by Eskom CEO André de Ruyter on Tuesday that sketched out a bold vision of an Eskom that could drive the green industrialisation of SA by transitioning to renewable energy and anchoring demand for the manufacturing of green goods, such as electric vehicles (EVs). See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Medupi coal-fired power station is finally complete. Work on the project was supposed to come to an end in 2015 but design defects led to delays and cost overruns. Alishia Seckam spoke to Eskom CEO André de Ruyter about what the completion of the Medupi power project will mean for electricity security in SA.