Local and international studies indicate that renewable energy systems, if well managed, are still a secure and least cost option
The mining resources parliamentary portfolio committee and the department have continued to ignore the interests and rights of communities affected by mining
Powergroup South Africa wins 20-year energy contract a mere 10 months after it was formed
Parliament should be asking the public what we think of Karpowerships before approaching the energy department about its deal
Last week’s tremor has anti-nuclear campaigners questioning the safety of Koeberg, although the nuclear facility said the plant is designed to sustain a magnitude-seven earthquake
After three decades’ use, South Africa’s only nuclear power plant could see its lifespan extended by 20 years — despite objections
The national solar water heater programme is set to take off once again this year, but meanwhile the government is spending millions on storing heaters that have yet to be installed
When the wannabe buyer and the seller of a mine got together with the mineral resources department, criticism of advantage followed
As the government scrambles to limit fallout, we reveal how Jacob Zuma grabbed control of the R1tn deal and negotiated directly with Vladimir Putin.
The department of mineral resources has promised to streamline the system for public access to information after it initially didn’t comply.
Bids will bring 3 750 megawatts of alternative energy on to the grid within the next three years at a total cost of R120-billion.
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/ 24 December 2011
Fuel shortages at petrol stations in inland provinces will probably last until around the third week in January, the energy department said.
An Australian company’s right to mine the protected Xolobeni dunes on the Wild Coast has been revoked, after a battle by the local AmaDiba community.
Green lobbyists fear that draft regulations on electricity generation released by government recently, may undermine investment into renewable energy.
Actual petrol price changes at the pump will differ from the change in the base price, the SA Petroleum Industry Association said on Monday.
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/ 13 November 2008
So far renewable energy investment has been stalling because private providers had no incentive to generate their own electricity.
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/ 26 September 2008
The retail price of petrol will decrease by between 25 cents and 29 cents a litre on Wednesday October 1, it was announced on Friday.
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/ 24 September 2008
A final decision on whether South Africa will extend its nuclear power capacity is expected within the month, if not sooner.
Thirteen years ago a strong environmental campaign saved the St Lucia dunes from being mined. The same cannot be said for this time round.
South Africa is seeking commercial contracts with foreign companies to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, a senior official said on Wednesday.
Government has slammed Anglo American for failing to put black South Africans in top-tier management positions.
Having indicated in previous answers to parliamentary questions that the Department of Minerals and Energy was considering the possible impact of introducing daylight-savings time, Minister of Minerals and Energy Buyelwa Sonjica has now said that it is not on the agenda.
The South African Petroleum Industry Association said the replacement of older petrol pumps, which are unable to reflect a price of more than R9,99, would take several months. Roughly 18 500 petrol pumps, or about 30% of all South Africa’s pumps, need to be replaced. These pumps do not have digital readings.
Gold Fields’s South Deep Mine was given permission to resume mining after a meeting with the Department of Minerals and Energy on Monday. ”The section 54 ruling [which suspends mining] has been lifted,” said spokesperson Sputnik Rantau. ”The mine has been allowed to go back into operation.”
The increase in the retail price of petrol by 55 cents per litre will result in a ”period of anguish” for South African households, an economist said on Wednesday. Absa economist Chris Hart said the increase would cause food prices to rise and fuel inflation. Hart said the country was expecting a hike in electricity prices as well as an increase in the rate of taxes.
Gold Fields said on Tuesday that four miners had been killed in two separate underground accidents at its Driefontein and South Deep gold mines on the West Rand. Vishnu Pillay, head of Gold Fields’s South African operations, said the company deeply regretted the loss of life and said safety was still their number one priority.
About 400 marchers under the banner of the Anti-Privatisation Forum handed over a memorandum to City Power and Eskom in Johannesburg on Wednesday in protest against a proposed 53% hike in electricity tariffs. The protesters called for the immediate resignation of Eskom managers, among other demands.
The government should intervene in food pricing to prevent further increases, the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu) said on Tuesday. ”Government [must] not leave the market to determine the prices, in particular on the basic needs. [They must] introduce regulations,” Cosatu said.
The retail price of petrol will increase by between 66 cents and 68 cents a litre (c/l) on Wednesday April 2, the Department of Minerals and Energy announced on Friday. This follows an increase of 61c/l last month, and 17c/l the month before. The retail price of a litre of 95 octane unleaded petrol in Gauteng increases to R8,91 and to R8,67 at the coast — new highs.
The South African government has moved to stem the haemorrhaging of jobs in the mining industry by allowing mines to increase their power consumption to 95% of normal usage. Minister of Energy and Minerals Buyelwa Sonjica was cited in various media reports on Thursday as saying that mines would be allowed to up their power use by 5%.
Eskom may delay approval for connecting new construction projects that are bigger than a residential home to its grid for up to six months in a bid to alleviate a power crisis, it said on Wednesday. The crisis forced a shutdown of crucial mines for five days in January and since then mines have been operating with only 90% of their power.
The South African government will on Friday announce whether power supply can be increased to mines while maintaining the stability of the system. The review of consumption comes in the wake of last week’s surprise announcement that the sector would lose thousands of jobs due to the power crisis.