Hogan Lovells Publications | 21 February 2016
Projects and Energy Weekly Snippets
Khi Solar One enters commercial operation
The 50 MW Khi Solar One concentrated solar power plant near Upington in the Northern Cape has started commercial operation.
The plant, which makes use of solar thermal super-heated tower technology, is capable of supplying 45 000 South African households with clean energy. It incorporates a storage system that enables production at maximum capacity for two hours without sunlight to bring stability to electricity production.
Engineering News, 8 February 2016
Electrify Africa Act primed for Obama signature
After two years, the US House of Representatives passed the Electrify Africa Act on Monday, which aims to connect millions of sub-Saharan African’s to a reliable power supply.
Obama launched the Power Africa initiative in 2013, a project aimed at targeting 50 million people in sub-Saharan Africa by 2020, connecting them to a reliable power network – an estimated 600 million are currently living without access to conventional power.
ESI-Africa, 9 February 2016
Fuel cell technology fast-tracked with launch of feasibility study in SA
An extensive feasibility study of fuel cells has been launched in South Africa in a bid to make the most of South Africa’s vast platinum resources. If successful, Isondo Precious Metals (IPM) believes the manufacturing of fuel cell components could be up and running within two years.
The Department of Trade and Industry has provided the funds for the study being carried out by IPM, a company established in 2012, to work in the space between the South African platinum industry, the international metal fabricators and the South African government to help create new and sustainable precious metal beneficiation business plans.
Engineering News, 9 February 2016
As China surges, South Africa’s wind footprint breaches 1 GW mark
South Africa increased its installed wind-energy capacity to above 1 GW last year, new Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) figures show, making it the largest wind-energy producer in Africa, followed by Morocco, whose installed capacity stood at 787 MW in 2015.
However, the story of 2015 was the surge in Chinese installations, with an "astonishing" 30.5 GW added in the year, raising the total global wind capacity installed last year to 63 GW, a year-on-year market growth of 22%.
"Wind power is leading the charge in the transition away from fossil fuels," GWEC secretary-general Steve Sawyer enthused, adding that new markets were opening up across Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Engineering News, 10 February 2016
Global interest in nuclear development on the rise, hears Mining Indaba
Addressing delegates at the 2016 Investing in African Mining Indaba, Peninsula Energy Limited CEO Gus Simpson conceded that the capital cost to develop a nuclear power station was about two-and-a-half times that of coal and more than three times that of gas – an issue that had been a significant barrier to the adoption of nuclear power.
However, the playing field had fundamentally changed, with the Koreans, Russians and Chinese driving down capital costs.
Engineering News, 10 February 2016
The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week. It is not an expression of opinion in respect of each matter, nor may it be considered as a disclosure of advice by any employee of Hogan Lovells.
The above reflects a summary of certain news articles published during the preceding week. It is not an expression of opinion in respect of each matter, nor may it be considered as a disclosure of advice by any employee of Hogan Lovells.
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