Latest news with #KgosientsoRamokgopa
The Citizen
4 days ago
- Business
- The Citizen
MK party wants full disclosure over R9.5bn battery storage projects
Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa praised Mulilo Energy as a "great South African success story". The MK party says it wants full disclosure of bid adjudication records after a multi-billion energy tender was awarded to a company headed by former Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter's right-hand man, Jan Oberholzer. On Friday, Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa announced the appointment of five preferred bidders under the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (BESIPPPP). De Ruyter's right-hand man Mulilo Energy, chaired by Oberholzer, the Chief Operating Officer of Eskom and Scatec, was awarded five large battery storage projects in the Free State to develop 616 MW / 2,464 MWh of new battery storage capacity for R9.5 billion. Oberholzer was appointed chairperson of Mulilo in September 2023, just two months after leaving Eskom as COO. Out of the five available projects, four were awarded to Mulilo Energy Mulio Energy was founded in 2008 by property developer Johnny Cullum and racing driver Chris Aberdein after a conversation about load shedding. Both remain on Mulilo's board. ALSO READ: Eskom denies reports of 14-hour load shedding next month MK party not happy Ramokgopa praised Mulilo at Friday's announcement as a 'great South African success story' that shows the country can stand tall globally. However, the MK party wants transparency in the bidding process MK party national spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said they have written to Ramokgopa demanding full disclosure of the bid adjudication records within seven days. 'The uMkhonto weSizwe party is blowing the lid off what appears to be one of the most blatant acts of javelin throwing in post-apartheid public procurement, this time under the green veil of 'renewable' energy. 'Should the Minister fail to comply, the MK party will immediately approach the courts to interdict and suspend these contracts,' Ndhlela said. 'Billions' Ndhlela said 'this is no longer about megawatts. 'This is about the billions being funnelled out of our country under the false flag of progress, and the MK Party will not stand by and watch our state-owned entities being handed over to corrupt white monopoly capital interests'. The Battery Energy Storage Programme is a critical initiative aimed at enhancing South Africa's power system by providing essential ancillary services and increasing grid capacity through energy storage. Projects Other awarded projects located in the Free State will include: Erfdeel BESS (123MW/ 492MWh) Retreat BESS (123MW/ 492MWh) Bloemhoek BESS (124MW/ 496MWh) Vanilla BESS (123MW/ 492MWh) The BESIPPPP Bid Window 3 was launched on 28 March 2024, with bids submitted on 28 November 2024. Ramokgopa said the evaluation process was conducted by an Independent Bid Evaluation Committee 'under strict security measures, took place at the IPP Office.' ALSO READ: Eskom winter outlook: Here's how many days of load shedding to expect in SA
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Ramokgopa apologises to business for unplanned return of load shedding
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, took to the podium to apologise to business for the return load shedding. On Tuesday, Eskom announced that Stage 2 load shedding will only be implemented during peak periods, from 4pm to 10pm, until Thursday (May 15). Ramokgopa told media that the level of outages was due to delayed return of generation units and unplanned breakdowns in the past day or so. The return of load shedding is now at 2023 levels, said Ramokgopa, noting that 'we have reached that red line' at which Eskom needs to implement blackouts. Stage 2 outages involve disconnecting areas from the grid for as long as four hours at a time. Data compiled by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research showed that load shedding cost the South African economy about R2.8 trillion in 2023, with more intense rolling blackouts than any other year.
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Ramokgopa apologises to business for unplanned return of load shedding
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, took to the podium to apologise to business for the return load shedding. On Tuesday, Eskom announced that Stage 2 load shedding will only be implemented during peak periods, from 4pm to 10pm, until Thursday (May 15). Ramokgopa told media that the level of outages was due to delayed return of generation units and unplanned breakdowns in the past day or so. The return of load shedding is now at 2023 levels, said Ramokgopa, noting that 'we have reached that red line' at which Eskom needs to implement blackouts. Stage 2 outages involve disconnecting areas from the grid for as long as four hours at a time. Data compiled by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research showed that load shedding cost the South African economy about R2.8 trillion in 2023, with more intense rolling blackouts than any other year.
IOL News
02-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
South Africa advocates for new energy transition strategies at G20 meeting
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa speaking during Day 1 of the Second G20 Energy Transitions Working Group Technical Meeting at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. Banele Ginidza Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa has put forth a bold proposal aimed at rethinking the global approach to energy finance. Speaking on the G20 Transition Working Group, Ramokgopa urged the Summit to consider practical frameworks for concessional financing, de-risking energy infrastructure, and unlocking transmission grids—all crucial enablers for fostering inclusive growth across the globe. Speaking at the second day of the G20 Electricity Energy Summit in Cape Town, which focused on global energy efficiency strategies and affordability challenges, Ramokgopa said these were not abstract goals but preconditions for energy justice. Ramokgopa said the G20 countries were the next frontier of opportunity, representing more than 85% of global GDP and nearly 80% of global emissions, which brought responsibility, not only to immediate constituencies, but to the billions of people whose fates were shaped by the decisions. "The G20 cannot afford to be a forum in Asia or entropy. As an African country, we also speak with the confidence of a continent that is not seeking charity, but partnership," he said. "Africa has the youngest population, the greatest solar potential, and the fastest growing demand for energy services. We are not the last frontier for development. "We welcome partnerships that view African countries not merely as recipients of energy investments, but as co-creators of the solutions needed for a global just transition. Whether in grid investment, hydrogen development, critical minerals, or skills exchange, Africa is ready to lead." Speaking in the context of Workers Day, Ramokgopa said the global energy transition must not come at the expense of the working people and should be taken to affirm, unequivocally, that a successful energy transition was one that did not displace workers but rather transformed their prospects. "It must prioritize risk healing, protect livelihoods and anchor new industries that generate quality jobs. The transition must not extract from the many to enrich the few, but expand opportunity in a way that reflects the spirit of solidarity, the principles of equality and the commitment to sustainability that define our G20 presidency," he said. "If our climate goals are to be enduring, they must be built on the foundation of social consensus." He said workers must see themselves not as casualties of the transition, but as co-authors of a new energy future. "As we pay tribute to the heroic and glorious struggles of workers, let us also acknowledge that this is no ordinary gathering, and we do not meet under ordinary circumstances. The world around us is changing rapidly, economically, geopolitically, and climatically. These changes are not episodic,they are structural," Ramokgopa said. He said at the heart of this global flux was energy, who has it, how it's produced, who pays for it, and who gets left behind. He added that there was a growing consensus that the energy transition must be a development project, first and foremost. "It cannot simply be about decarbonizing the global economy. It must also enable nations to industrialize, create jobs, and expand the reach of human development," Ramokgopa said. "For the Global South, the transition must mean, moving from vulnerability to resilience, from exclusion to empowerment, from energy poverty to energy sovereignty." The Energy Transition Work Group meeting is the second of four meetings scheduled in the run up to the G20 Summit gathering in Johannesburg in November. It was set as an in-person meetings to pave way for a late July meeting preceding the Ministerial level meetings slated for November this year. South Africa is prioritising suggestions along energy security and affordable, reliable access; just, affordable and inclusive energy transitions; and African interconnectivity and energy pool. The preparations for the final G20 Summit, in which South Africa will hand over the Presidency to the United States, comes as there is a rift between the two countries over priorities, particularly in relation to the so-called just energy transition. BUSINESS REPORT
