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Daily Maverick
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Maverick
eThekwini's energy deal is not the green win it seems to be
The Durban metro's landmark 400MW power deal is not a renewable energy success. It's a carefully orchestrated national strategy to avert an industrial catastrophe that could wipe out 5% of GDP. Minister of Electricity and Energy Kgosientsho Ramokgopa needed only four succinct bullet points in the Government Gazette to herald a landmark 400MW energy deal: eThekwini will be South Africa's first metro to procure substantial power from independent producers and could potentially reduce its reliance on Eskom by 18%. But the devil is in the detail, which reveals that this isn't quite the green energy story many may have been expecting. Of the 400MW capacity, only 100MW will come from solar photovoltaic (PV) panels. The remaining 300MW will be generated by natural gas. This makes eThekwini's deal less a renewable energy triumph than a strategic manoeuvre to avert the other national energy crisis: the 'gas cliff'. South Africa faces the imminent collapse of its natural gas supply. This could devastate industries worth up to R700-billion annually and directly threaten more than 70,000 jobs. The country's industrial economy depends heavily on gas imports from Mozambique via the Rompco pipeline. But those Pande and Temane fields are rapidly depleting and Sasol, the primary importer, has notified customers that it will cease supplying the commercial market between 2026 and 2028. Ramokgopa has called the gas cliff the 'second most pressing issue' keeping him up at night after load shedding, with the potential 'to wipe out 5% of the country's GDP'. This helps to make sense of eThekwini's gas-heavy procurement. It didn't stumble into a gas deal; it is a deliberate move. The municipality's initial public statements spoke of '400MW of renewable energy', but the request for information (RFI) issued in July 2021 was, strategically, 'technology-agnostic'. When the RFI closed 90 days later, it had generated overwhelming support from 104 potential projects totalling 16,477MW. A breakdown of the technology was revealing. Of the 8,857MW of individual generation assets proposed, natural gas was the single-largest category at 40%, followed by solar PV at just 23%. The message was clear: private developers see gas as the 'most mature, large-scale and readily available' option for dispatchable power that can be switched on when needed. This market-driven evolution towards gas wasn't coincidental. It reflected the technical reality that intermittent renewable sources need backup. The timelines of the procurement and the national gas infrastructure response reveal a carefully coordinated strategy: 2021: eThekwini launches its procurement proces. 2023: Sasol officially announces cessation of gas supply between 2026 and 2028. February 2025: The Zululand Energy Terminal consortium signs a 25-year agreement to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility at Richards Bay. August: eThekwini receives final approval for its 400MW deal. 2026: The projected gas cliff begins, eThekwini plans to issue its gas tender, and the LNG terminal aims for a final investment decision. 2028: Both the eThekwini gas plant and the LNG terminal target commercial operation. This isn't a coincidence. eThekwini will serve as a foundational anchor customer for the Zululand Energy Terminal, a joint venture between Dutch multinational Royal Vopak and Transnet Pipelines. The gas will flow through the repurposed Lilly pipeline, avoiding the need for expensive new infrastructure. This creates a symbiosis whereby the power plant depends on the LNG terminal's completion, while the terminal needs the long-term power purchase agreement to justify its investment. Tracking dirt into the energy transition The eThekwini deal sits uncomfortably with the energy transition narrative. Dr Karen Surridge, renewable energy project manager at the South African National Energy Development Institute, recently celebrated how electricity constraints had driven 'a boom in the solar PV and battery industries', with marked improvements in efficiency and cost reduction. But eThekwini's procurement tells a different story. Despite the rhetoric about innovation and renewable energy, when a municipality needed large-scale, reliable power quickly, the market delivered gas. This reflects a broader tension in South Africa's energy transition. Whereas policy documents speak of renewable energy and the just energy transition, practical decisions increasingly favour gas as a 'critical transitional fuel'. The draft Integrated Resource Plan 2023 allocates significant new generation capacity to gas-fired plants, up to 22,000MW of combined cycle gas turbines by 2050. Importantly, no companies have been awarded contracts yet. The formal bidding process through requests for proposals is still to come – solar PV tenders in December this year, and gas-to-power tenders in 2026. But the initial interest was overwhelming: 104 potential projects, including 96 energy-generation proposals and eight financial institutions. The delay until 2026 for gas tenders is strategic, aligning with when the Zululand Energy Terminal consortium needs customer commitments to reach its 'final investment decision'. It's also when the country will be teetering on that gas cliff. Environmental justice organisations aren't buying the transition fuel argument. They see new gas infrastructure as creating stranded assets in an accelerating global energy transition, and question whether gas can truly be considered clean. But industrial stakeholders view projects such as eThekwini's as vital lifelines. The municipality projects savings of R5-billion over the duration of the power purchase agreement, and R8.5-billion in private investment creating an estimated 2,200 jobs. The project faces significant risks: global LNG price volatility, construction delays that could leave industries exposed to the gas cliff, and the real possibility that environmental challenges could derail the creation of critical infrastructure. Viewing things at utility scale eThekwini's 400MW deal is more than a case of municipal power procurement. It's a test case for South Africa's ability to navigate the immense trade-offs inherent in its path towards a just and sustainable energy future. The deal reveals the gap between renewable energy rhetoric and practical implementation. Innovation advocates may celebrate solar and battery breakthroughs, but critical infrastructure decisions still favour gas for its reliability and scale. It also highlights the coordinated national response to the gas cliff – a crisis that could prove more immediately devastating than blackouts, even though it has received far less public attention. As South Africa grapples with its energy future, eThekwini's renewable energy deal offers a sobering lesson: in the complex world of energy security, good intentions often collide with harsh realities. The municipality set out to buy renewable energy and ended up as a linchpin in a national strategy to avert industrial catastrophe. Whether that's pragmatic policymaking or a failure of renewable energy ambition may depend on one's perspective. What's certain is that the eThekwini deal will be closely watched as other municipalities consider their own energy independence – and as South Africa races against time to prevent its industries from falling off the gas cliff. DM
India.com
09-08-2025
- India.com
Indian Army and Air Force to get most advanced light helicopters, their features include..., they will replace...
New Delhi: In a crucial move to keep their arsenal up to date, India's defence forces, the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force (IAF), are now looking for 200 light helicopters. These 200 light helicopters will replace the ageing and outdated Chetak and Cheetah helicopters. According to the reports, of the 200 light helicopters, 120 will be allocated to the Indian Army and 80 to the Indian Air Force. Why is India procuring light helicopters? The current Chetak and Cheetah helicopters are outdated and obsolete. Apart from that, they don't have the technology required for modern-day warfare and lack modern features such as built-in safety mechanisms. Also, they are at a high risk of accidents, just like the MiG-21 fighter jets. What does the Defence Ministry say about the new helicopters? A Request for Information (RFI) has been issued to vendors by the Indian Army for the procurement of 120 Reconnaissance and Surveillance Helicopters, and 80 for the Indian Air Force. According to TOI, the RFI states that the Defence Ministry aims to urgently replace the current fleet of Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with suitable light helicopters of modern design. When would Cheetah and Chetak helicopters be retired? As soon as the Light Utility Helicopters are inducted, the Army and Air Force will start phasing out the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which is very likely to take place in 2027. Cheetah helicopters lack several modern features such as advanced avionics and glass cockpits, critical technologies that assist pilots in navigating extreme weather conditions and low visibility. What would be the new light helicopters used for? The new light helicopters would be used for border patrols, quick troop deployment, rescue missions, medical evacuations, and emergency cases. These helicopters will be capable of operating both day and night and enhance the overall security framework, including support for attack helicopters.
India.com
09-08-2025
- Business
- India.com
End of an Era? Helicopter Tender signals a competitive future beyond HAL
The Indian Ministry of Defence has initiated a critical procurement process for 200 new light helicopters, a move that not only aims to replace its dangerously old fleets but also signals a fundamental shift in its acquisition strategy. By opening the door to global competition for a project mandated to be built in India, the ministry is indicating that the era of relying on a single domestic source, like Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), is evolving to meet urgent and large-scale demands. A Requirement Far Beyond 200 Helicopters While the immediate Request for Information (RFI) is for 200 aircraft—120 for the Army's aviation unit and 80 for the Air Force—this is only the beginning. The provided text clarifies that together, the Army and Air Force have a total requirement for more than 450 light helicopters, with the Army alone needing approximately 250. This larger number reframes the entire process. The current tender is not a complete fleet replacement but a significant first step in a much larger re-equipment effort. The urgency is underscored by the state of the current fleet. Of the 246 Cheetah and Chetak helicopters ever built, the Indian Army Aviation Corps now operates about 190, with around 30 currently under maintenance, highlighting the operational strain of keeping these vintage machines airworthy. The Legacy Fleet: 60 Years of Service and Rising Concerns The push for replacement is driven by the extreme age of the current helicopters. The Chetak, based on the French Aérospatiale Alouette-III, entered service in 1962. Its counterpart, the single-engine Cheetah, derived from the French Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama, joined the force in 1976. Having been in service for close to 60 years, calls to retire these assets have grown louder, particularly due to a spate of accidents in recent years, some of which were fatal. Their replacement is a matter of both operational capability and personnel safety. A Modern Mandate with Built-in Flexibility The ministry has laid out clear, demanding requirements for the new aircraft, which must be able to perform a variety of roles day and night: Reconnaissance and surveillance Transporting small teams for special missions Moving supplies internally or via underslung loads Working in tandem with attack helicopters to find and track targets Reflecting the realities of India's operational terrain, the RFI places special emphasis on performance in extreme conditions, from hot deserts to the icy altitudes of the Siachen glacier. It demands specific load-carrying capacities for operations above 16,000 feet. Interestingly, the ministry is not limiting its options, stating it is open to both single-engine and twin-engine models. This is significant, as the forces currently use the single-engine Cheetah and Chetak as well as the twin-engine Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) in these mountainous regions. Critically, the RFI mandates that the helicopters must be built in India, allowing helicopter makers to team up with an Indian company, which could be HAL or another private entity. HAL: The Incumbent Contender Facing New Realities Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is undeniably a primary contender. It began producing the Chetak under license in 1965 and is the developer of the indigenous Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The Army already has a separate plan to buy 80 LUHs from HAL. However, the very existence of this new, large-scale global RFI points to challenges. The text explicitly notes that deliveries of the LUH are delayed due to technical problems with its autopilot system, despite the helicopter passing high-altitude tests in 2020 and receiving its Initial Operational Clearance in 2021. The combination of the massive total need (450+ helicopters), the existing delays in the domestic LUH project, and the government's decision to launch a competitive global tender suggests a clear conclusion: the reliance on a single-source supplier is diminishing. The government cannot afford to wait for a single production line to meet this vast requirement. This RFI forces the issue, compelling HAL to improve its productivity and resolve technical issues swiftly if it wants to secure a major role in this project, while also opening the door for other Indian companies to partner with global OEMs to establish parallel production lines. The path forward is competition, collaboration, and faster delivery. (Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. Contact: girishlinganna@ )
The Print
09-08-2025
- Business
- The Print
With Cheetah & Chetak fleets ageing, Army, IAF move to fast-track purchase of 200 light helicopters
Designed for multi-role operations in both day and night conditions, the reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters will be tasked with missions ranging from reconnaissance and surveillance to transporting small troop detachments or quick reaction teams for specialised operations. The helicopter will also carry internal and underslung loads (carried beneath the aircraft, typically attached with cables or slings) in support of ground forces, conducting armed scouting in coordination with attack helicopters and carrying out casualty evacuation. According to the Request for Information (RFI) issued Friday by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), 120 helicopters are earmarked for the Army Aviation Corps and 80 for the Air Force. The MoD describes the requirement as 'urgent,' with the current fleet, based on 1960s-era French Aérospatiale designs, having flown well beyond its intended service life, often in some of the world's most challenging environments. New Delhi: The Army and the Air Force are moving to fast-track the purchase of 200 light reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSH) to replace their ageing Cheetah and Chetak fleets. Notably, the RFI emphasises transfer of technology (ToT) in line with the Defence Acquisition Procedure 2020. While not framed as a strict eligibility criterion, the government 'is desirous of manufacturing helicopters in India after acquiring ToT,' as stated in the document. This provision will allow foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to participate, provided they partner with an eligible Indian company through joint ventures or production arrangements and commit to sharing specified critical technologies, production know-how and support capabilities. The selected suppliers will be obligated to provide lifetime support for the helicopters, including spares, maintenance tools, and equipment for both field- and component-level repairs. A vendor interaction is scheduled for later this month, with responses due by mid-October. The current acquisition push follows earlier efforts to replace the Chetak and Cheetah fleets through the planned acquisition of 200 Kamov Ka-226T light utility helicopters from Russia, with 60 to be purchased in fly-away conditions and 140 to be assembled in India via a joint venture between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and Russian Helicopters under the Make in India program. Under this arrangement, the HAL was to meet at least half the requirement, with the remainder to be built by the Indo-Russian Helicopters Ltd (IRGL), a joint venture of HAL, Russian Helicopters, and Rosoboronexport. Signed in 2015 as the Modi government's first government-to-government defense deal, the program remained in limbo over disagreements on indigenous content (Russia offered 62 percent against India's stipulated 70 percent) and unresolved issues on technology transfer and cost. Parallel to this, the HAL also developed its own Light Utility Helicopter (LUH). The platform, which received Initial Operational Clearance in 2020, has entered limited-series production (LSP) for eventual induction into both services, with 12 units—six each for the Army and the Air Force—currently on order. The three-tonne helicopter has a service ceiling of 21,325 feet, a range of 500 km on internal fuel, and a top speed of 235 km/h. With a maximum take-off weight of 3,150 kg, it seats two crew members and is equipped with a Smart Cockpit Display System (glass cockpit), a health and usage monitoring system, and provisions for both utility and armed configurations. The IAF inducted the currently operational Chetak in 1965, followed by the Cheetah in 1976. Across the three services, the combined strength of the Chetak and Cheetah helicopters is estimated to be around 400. While the earliest batches are no longer in service, most of the 186 Chetaks and over 200 Cheetahs still flying fall into the vintage category, having served for more than four decades. (Edited by Ajeet Tiwari) Also Read: Defence Secretary spells out big procurement push, overhaul of system
Time of India
08-08-2025
- Business
- Time of India
India seeks 200 copters to replace ageing Cheetah & Chetak fleet
NEW DELHI: India has once again resumed the hunt to replace its old single-engine Cheetah and Chetak helicopters, which lack modern avionics, in-built safety mechanisms and have been dogged by a high crash rate just like the MiG-21 fighters, causing the death of scores of pilots over the years. The Army on Friday issued a request for information (RFI) to vendors for the acquisition of 120 reconnaissance and surveillance helicopters (RSHs) and another 80 for the IAF. "The defence ministry intends to urgently replace the fleet of existing Cheetah and Chetak helicopters with suitable light helicopters of modern design," the RFI said. The RSHs should be able to perform surveillance by day and night, transport small number troops for special missions, carry internal and external loads in support of ground operations and perform a "scout role" in conjunction with attack helicopters, the RFI added. The armed forces have been demanding new light helicopters to replace their around 350 Cheetah and Chetak choppers, which are of the design vintage of the 1960s, for well over two decades now. They have sounded the alarm several times but to no avail till now, as reported by TOI earlier.
