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Over the past few days, a number of authorities have made urgent calls for the implementation of measures to address the recent spate of road crashes, says Road Freight Association (RFA) CEO Gavin Kelly.

“The Deputy President has also called for an Imbizo to discuss these events.”

The list of incidents include a truck illegally overtaking traffic and colliding head-on with a bakkie ferrying school children in Pongola, KwaZulu-Natal. Twenty people were killed.

However, notes Kelly, if all the conditions of the National Road Traffic Act, Act 93 of 1996 (as amended) and proclaimed in 1996, had been implemented, monitored and enforced, “then these scenes would not be playing out on a regular basis”.

“Add to that the requirements of the Labour Relations Act (LRA), which includes registration with the National Bargaining Council for the Road Freight and Logistics Industry (NBCRFLI), the reality that drivers are paid by load, and not as per the very clearly defined conditions of employment, and we would not be where we are today.”

Kelly says the RFA was closely involved with the Department of Transport in the late 1980s and early 1990s when it crafted legislation that would “effectively and efficiently” regulate both freight and passenger operators.

“This included mechanisms and requirements to deal with the very causes of what we have recently seen happening on our roads.

“Unfortunately, through very poor and highly contentious traffic policing and management services, very weak implementation of regulatory requirements by both transport authorities and labour authorities, the ability for any individual to operate a fleet with very little chance of quality control, and the inaction to remove non-compliant fleet operators, we have arrived at the point where we are today.”

Kelly says the RFA has “continuously called” for action to be taken against non-compliant operators since the announcement of the Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences legislation, as well as during the “violence and destruction” caused by those opposed to the employment of foreigners in the trucking industry.

“Sadly, the authorities have not heeded our call.”

He says those fleet operators who refuse to register with and abide by the NBCRFLI main agreement “must be held accountable and dealt with”.

“As the RFA has noted to various Ministers of Transport on various occasions: non-compliant operators – as in not complying with the requirements of the NRTA and the LRA – must be removed from public roads.”

Kelly says countries with good road-safety reputations share a number of traits, including professional, well-trained and uncompromising road traffic policing services; strict registration requirements for all public fleet operators; compulsory registration requirements with independent trade associations which check standards compliance before registration; and swift and targeted action against those who choose to be non-compliant.

“There is no need for Imbizos and other gatherings. There is, however, a need to remove non-compliant operators from the road.”

State-owned Eskom, the South African Renewable Energy Technology Centre (Saretec) – based at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) – and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) have signed a partnership agreement for the development of a new training facility to be established at the soon-to-be-decommissioned Komati power station, in Mpumalanga.

The training facility is part of Eskom’s contribution to a just transition for the local community as the Komati power station is decommissioned.

The facility will enable Eskom to reskill, retrain and upskill workers and communities, where needed, with a view to developing skills, among which would be skills aimed at serving in renewable energy generation projects that are planned for the future.

“We do not have enough skills in the country to meet the jobs that will be created through the renewables value chain. Launching this skills training facility is part of meeting that need. When this training facility works, we will replicate it at all of our power stations,” Eskom Just Energy Transition GM Mandy Rambharos said at the signing ceremony held at the power station on September 23.

In addition to the training facility, which is part of Eskom’s Komati Repowering and Repurposing project, Komati, which once had 1 000 MW coal-fired generation capacity, will now be repowered with 150 MW of solar, 70 MW of wind and 150 MW of batteries.

Eskom has also established a containerised microgrid assembly factory at the mothballed power plant.

The Komati Repowering and Repurposing project is one of the largest coal-fired power plant decommissioning, repowering and repurposing projects globally and it is hoped that it will provide a tangible case study on how to transition fossil fuel assets to cleaner sources of energy.

“Mpumalanga is endowed with the best of resources for the just energy transition – wind, solar, skilled people and available grid capacity – and, therefore, has the potential to once again become the thriving energy hub of the country,” Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha said at the signing ceremony.

The funding for the training facility will be provided by the GEAPP. These funds will be used to establish the training facility and will enable Saretec – the only fully accredited training centre for renewable energy in South Africa recognised by the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations – and Eskom to educate, reskill and upskill Eskom Komati power station staff and qualifying beneficiaries from the surrounding communities in the Mpumalanga region.

Upon completion, the training centre will be managed by Eskom’s Academy of Learning, which will be supported by Saretec to achieve accreditation over time, enabling Eskom to replicate this initiative in other locations.

“South Africa can be a lighthouse for emerging markets, demonstrating the way to achieve a truly just, job-creating energy transition. This new training facility will focus on the upskilling of workers before decommissioning has even begun. It can inform reskilling programmes at other power stations and catalyse investment in South Africa’s energy transition,” GEAPP executive director Joseph Nganga highlighted.

Rambharos said the partnership agreement presented a unique opportunity for the creation and scaling up of new industries across the renewables value chain. Taking full advantage of these opportunities would require the retraining and upskilling of parts of South African workforce.

“This will mitigate the risk of job losses related to the decommissioning of coal-fired power stations and create new job opportunities, particularly for unemployed young people. The Komati Training Facility will serve as a blueprint for how these training requirements can be fulfilled,” she said, reiterating Eskom’s previously stated vision for Mpumalanga to remain the energy hub of South Africa.

“Saretec is very different to other energy centres around the world and I know that we have the req...

Engineering News Editor Terence Creamer talks about society's growing anger over load-shedding, the National Energy Regulator of South Africa's public hearings into Eskom's request for a 32% tariff hike and the signing of project agreements for three wind projects under Bid Window 5.

Stellantis Middle East and Africa has unveiled its Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan for the region that will see it aim for 22% market share by 2030, boosted by the launch of around 55 new vehicles/derivatives.

The Stellantis group includes the Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, Vauxhall, Free2move and Leasys brands.

“Dare Forward 2030 will lead us to leadership in Middle East and Africa region,” says Stellantis Middle East and Africa COO Samir Cherfan.

“Building on our current tailored and robust commercial and industrial setups in the region, we aim to consolidate our position in the Mediterranean Crown and the French Overseas Territories, while strengthening our position in sub-Saharan Africa and ramping up our market share in Middle East and South Africa.”

Around 25% of the 55 new vehicle/derivatives to be launched by 2030 in the region will be low-emission vehicles (LEVs), which refer to battery electric, fuel-cell and plug-in hybrid vehicles, notes Cherfan.

Also, by the same year, Stellantis plans for one-third of all sales to happen online, with a single digital marketplace available to all customers by 2027.

Jeep is one brand that has already lifted the veil on its LEV future, noting it will introduce four all-electric sports-utility vehicles (SUVs) in North America and in Europe by 2025.

Around 50% of Jeep sales in the US and 100% of sales in Europe will be battery-electric vehicles by 2030, says Stellantis.

Two fully electric SUVs – the new Jeep Recon and new Wagoneer, code name Wagoneer S – are set to launch in North America and other regions around the world by 2025, while the all-new, all-electric Jeep Avenger will launch in Europe early next year.

Stellantis South Africa currently holds a 1.54% share in the total domestic new-vehicle market.

The development of a regional five-year masterplan to nurture the engineering skills needed to support manufacturing in South Africa as the automotive industry transitions to future mobility, including electric vehicles (EVs), has started, says the Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape (AIDC EC).

Shaped by policy makers, educational institutions, skills development practitioners and automotive industry role-players, and led by the AIDC EC, the masterplan framework identifies the key elements of a common, integrated engineering offering from high school to the institutions of higher learning in the Eastern Cape.

The Eastern Cape houses several vehicle manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Isuzu, Ford and FAW, and contributes 38% of South Africa’s total vehicle production and 50% of its exports.

“It is essential that we work closely with our manufacturers so that the projected employment opportunities presented by a reshaped value-chain for new-energy vehicles are exploited by locally skilled candidates,” says AIDC EC CEO Thabo Shenxane.

The province needs to “refine its budgeting and focus, among other priorities, on an integrated engineering skills masterplan with urgency”.

National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (Naacam) knowledge services project manager Beth Dealtry says Naacam’s vision for the masterplan will be to ensure that a lack of skills is not a barrier to transformation, localisation and inclusion in the next five years.

“In the context of an anticipated global shortage of skills around new energy vehicles, the masterplan will play a critical role in growing and transforming South Africa’s automotive sector.”

Shenxane says a number of immediate projects will be implemented in the Eastern Cape as part of the development of the masterplan.

These are the drafting of a schedule of EV training courses to be offered to automotive role-players and students; the inclusion of e-mobility in the engineering curricula at both higher educational institutions and technical and vocational education and training (TVET) colleges in the province; talking to vehicle manufacturers about donations to TVET colleges of equipment that is required by these institutions as they deliver their curricula to students; and the upskilling of existing lecturers, both at universities and TVET colleges.

“The transition in vehicle technology to e-mobility requires a revolution in automotive manufacturing, aftermarket and support processes, and that, in turn, demands a different skills-set,” explains Shenxane.

“Without those skills South Africa’s automotive manufacturing sector will be severely threatened, along with the Eastern Cape economy.”

Naamsa | The Automotive Business Council transformation and public policy executive Tshetlhe Litheko says the rise of electric and new energy vehicles has forced the automotive sector to rethink its approach to production.

Naamsa expects that 40% of all European vehicle sales will be EVs by 2030, which could cost the South African automotive industry billions in export earnings a year should it not transition to EV manufacturing in time.

No battery electric vehicles are currently produced in South Africa.

A deadline of the end of October has been set for the signing of power purchase and implementation agreements by the remaining 22 Bid Window Five (BW5) renewables projects, following the conclusion of the first such agreements with three wind projects, with a combined capacity of 420 MW and a combined investment value of R11-billion.

IPP Office head Bernard Magoro reported on Thursday that all BW5 preferred bidders had now secured grid-connection Budget Quotes from Eskom, the absence of which had delayed the conclusion of the round from an initial deadline of April, and that “the next step is to now sign the agreements”.

“It did take long to get these three project agreements concluded . . . but the base agreements that have emerged should make the process much easier for the remaining 22 projects.

“So, we are ready for other projects to come forward and to sign by the end of October,” Magoro said at an event in Centurion, Gauteng, where wind project agreements were signed with EDF and black empowerment partner Gibb-Crede, including power purchase agreements with Eskom.

“Given the current load-shedding, there is really no reason to delay and there will be other wind bid windows.

“So, if you miss this bus, there is another bid window that’s coming,” he added, indicating that the IPP Office was prepared to move forward from the round even if some projects failed to conclude agreements.

Likewise, he indicated that the deadline for the signing of project agreements for the remaining Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) preferred bidders, including the three power ship projects, had also been set for the end of October.

“We have been looking at a few bid-optimisation requests that we received from the preferred bidders . . . and we have secured legal opinion on those so that the process is not compromised.

“That, too, has been finalised and we now want to conclude both programmes [BW5 and RMIPPPP] by the end of October.”

BATTERY STORAGE BID WINDOW

Magoro also announced that a battery storage bidding round would be launched on September 30 and that bid submissions under BW6 of the renewables programme, which had been expanded from 2 600 MW to 4 200 MW, were anticipated on October 3.

Lessons, he said, had been learnt from the BW5 delays, which had been extensive, with preferred bidders having been identified in October last year following the launch of the bid window in April last year.

The projects were initially anticipated to reach financial close by the end of April this year, but when that deadline was missed, a staggered close process was announced for the end of July and the end of September.

The initial three wind projects have been given 60 days to achieve financial close, while those that sign their project agreements at the end of October are likely to be given until the end of the year to progress to financial close.

Most of the delays have related to securing Budget Quotes for access to the Eskom grid.

To overcome those delays, Eskom’s Grid Access Unit had been beefed up and BW6 bidders had been instructed to secure cost estimate letters (CELs) from the unit before submitting a project bid.

Eskom transmission group executives Segomoco Scheppers reported that the Grid Access Unit had issued CELs to prospective BW6 bidders relating to projects with a potential capacity of 32 000 MW.

He said the market had also been informed of Eskom’s grid constraints, particularly in the Cape provinces, as well as to where residual capacity remained through the publication of the Generation Connection Capacity Assessment.

Additional information regarding available grid capacity would be released when the utility published its latest Transmission Development Plan at the end of October.

WORK UNDER WAY

Meanwhile, EDF’s Tristan de Drouas announced that work had been under way since July on a self-build substation that would support not only the three 140 MW-apiece wind farms, but also other renewables ...

The affordability of the 32% tariff hike being sought by Eskom for implementation on April 1 next year came under intense scrutiny on the last day of National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) public hearings.

The regulator, which adjudicated the first year of the three-year fifth multiyear price determination (MYPD5) in January, when it approved a 9.61% increase for the 2023 financial year against an Eskom request for 20.5%, expects to decide for the 2024 and 2025 financial years by November 7.

The utility has applied for allowable revenue of R351-billion for 2024 and R382-billion for 2025, inclusive of the R15-billion a year arising from a court order stipulating that the utility be allowed to recover, over five financial years, the full R69-billion equity injection Nersa incorrectly deducted from its MYPD4 allowable revenue.

If granted, the standard Eskom tariff would rise to 172.6c/kWh on April 1, or by more than 32%.

Eskom argues that even after such a steep hike, the tariff would remain below a cost-reflective level, which it calculates to be 185.7c/kWh.

TERRIBLE INJUSTICE

The utility’s request was strongly opposed by all of the presenters on the third and final day of the hearings, including Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who urged Nersa to unequivocally reject the request and instead grant no increase above the current inflation rate.

Warning that South Africans were being confronted with a cost-of-living crisis, Hill-Lewis argued that it would be a “terrible injustice” to expect electricity consumers to pay for previous mismanagement and corruption at the utility, particularly in the context of intensifying load-shedding.

He noted, too, that all of the 70 bidders that responded to the city’s recent tender to procure an initial 200 MW of renewable electricity had been able to beat even Eskom’s lowest prevailing tariff.

City of Johannesburg MMC Michael Sun added that the proposed tariff hike would have a “devastating impact” on the citizens of Johannesburg, erode business confidence and disrupt economic recovery.

Sun added that City Power was of the view that Eskom could reduce its proposed revenue by R55-billion, for each of the years covered by the application, reducing the increase to a maximum of 18.4% for the 2024 financial year.

However, Mogale City mayor Tyron Gray also called for an inflation-linked increase, indicating that ongoing load-shedding was resulting in water disruptions in the high-lying Gauteng city and that a price hike would exacerbate the problem, owing to the nature of the water/power cross subsidies in place.

DISALLOW DIESEL REQUEST

Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG) CEO Fanele Mondi warned that a 32% increase would have a significant negative impact on its mining and heavy-industrial members, given that electricity represented up to 40% of their costs.

Mondi made specific recommendations with regard to how Nersa should treat various cost components in Eskom’s application, including the utility request for R16.9-billion next year and R17.7-billion in the 2025 financial year to operate its diesel-fuelled power plants.

The increase outlined by Eskom is based on deploying the plants at a load factor of 12%, rather than 5%, to offset the fall in the coal and nuclear fleet’s energy availability factor to 59% from 62%.

“This represents a staggering R11.8-billion and R12.41-billion [additional cost for diesel] for the respective years,” he noted.

The EIUG requested Nersa to disallow the request for higher diesel volumes, which made up 60% of the increase, and instead base any increased allowance on real diesel price increases.

“Nersa should get a better explanation for the seemingly excessive volume increase.

“If it is due to poor generation performance, rather consider investing more money in maintenance and demand-side-management incentives.

“Such a reallocation will be a more sustainable investment financially with an opportunity to decrease the costs in the medium term,” Mondi argue...

Volvo Trucks has started series production of the battery electric versions of the company’s heavy-duty FH, FM and FMX ranges.

These trucks can operate at a total weight of 44 t (gross combination weight).

With these new additions, the Swedish truck manufacturer has six electric truck models in series production globally.

“This is a milestone and proves that we are leading the transformation of the industry,” says Volvo Trucks president Roger Alm.

“It’s less than two years ago since we showcased our heavy electric trucks for the very first time.

“Now we are ramping up volumes and will deliver these great trucks to customers all over Europe, and later on also to customers in Asia, Australia and Latin America.”

In South Africa, local customer KDG Logistics has signed a letter of intent to purchase two Volvo FM 4x2 electric truck tractors.

These units are expected to arrive during the second quarter of next year.

They will be used by KDG Logistics – an auto carrier ­– in a port-to-factory operation in Durban.

“This marks the first steps locally in embracing electric vehicles as part of sustainable transport solutions here in South Africa,” says Volvo Trucks South Africa MD Waldemar Christensen.

“Volvo Trucks and our customers are taking on the challenge to embrace zero tailpipe-emission transport, despite a lack of the necessary infrastructure and legislation to drive more progress in this area locally.”

Series production of Volvo’s heaviest electric trucks will start in the Tuve factory in Gothenburg, Sweden, and next year in the factory in Ghent, Belgium.

Volvo produces its electric trucks on the same line as its conventional trucks.

The batteries are supplied by Volvo Trucks’ new battery assembly plant in Ghent.

The demand for electric trucks is rapidly increasing in many markets, notes Volvo Trucks.

The company says around 45% of all goods transported in Europe today typically travel a distance of less than 300 km, which means its electric portfolio could cover almost half of the continent’s road logistics market.

“We have sold around 1 000 units of our heavy electric trucks and more than 2 600 of our electric trucks in total,” says Alm.

“We expect volumes to increase significantly in the next few years. By 2030, at least 50% of the trucks we sell globally should be electric.”

Volvo Trucks’ electric line-up of six truck models covers a range of applications, including city distribution, refuse handling, regional transport and construction work.

Eskom told the regulator on Tuesday that its immediate focus was on returning 14 coal units to service over the coming four days, in an effort to recover 8 012 MW of coal generation so as to ease load-shedding, which was being implemented at Stage 5.

Although the National Energy Regulator of South Africa’s (Nersa’s) hearings are concerned primarily with the State-owned utility’s request for a 32% tariff hike, regulatory members had requested an update on load-shedding and its implications for the utility’s costs during the first day of hearings on Monday.

Members were particularly concerned about Eskom’s newly-published energy availability factor (EAF) assumption of 59% for the coming two financial years, which would result in a heavy reliance on the open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs).

Eskom is currently assuming that the load factor of the OCGT plants will rise from 5% to 12%, which would trigger a surge in its diesel costs to R16.9-billion in 2023/24 and R17.7-billion in 2024/25.

For the year to date, a period that coincides with South Africa’s worst-ever load-shedding, Eskom has already spent R7.7-billion on diesel and has been operating the OCGT plants at an average load factor of 14%.

On the second day of hearings, Eskom generation executive Eric Shunmagum revealed that the utility was aiming to return eight units, with a combine capacity of 3 990 MW, during the course of Tuesday, September 20.

It was targeting three more, representing 1 115 MW, on Wednesday and another three units, with a combined capacity of 1 837 MW, on Friday, so as to ramp down rotational cuts to Stage 2 by the weekend.

Shunmagum said the generation unit’s operational recovery plan was geared towards improving the EAF from 59% to at least 70% from the end of March 2024 onwards, by when some older stations would have been decommissioned and Kusile completed.

Until then, the OCGTs would be used extensively, as had been the case since the start of the current financial year on April 1, when the load factor had dipped below 10% in just a single month (August) and had been as high as 18.8% during June.

Questioned about the prudency of using the OCGT plants so extensively, Eskom argued that the cost to the country was “much cheaper when compared to higher levels of load-shedding”.

Beyond the immediate return to service plan for the current week, Shunmagum said the recovery plan would focus on the ‘Top 6 priority stations’ of Tutuka, Duvha, Majuba, Kusile Matla and Kendal.

“All our efforts will be going into those stations as we begin shutting the oldest stations in the next two to three years.”

After March 31, the focus would shift to the next set of priority stations of Matimba, Lethabo, Medupi, Kriel and Arnot.

“These stations were specifically selected as they are amongst the highest contributors to the unplanned load losses and any improvement at these stations will see a massive change in the EAF,” Shunmagum asserted.

Priority would also be given to a successful execution of the steam generator replacement projects at Koeberg Unit 1, following serious difficulties at Unit 2.

Koeberg Unit 2 was returned to service in August without the steam generators having been replaced because of a lack of project preparation by Eskom and had since tripped, further intensifying September load-shedding.

Intergovernmental organisation the International Energy Agency (IEA) in its 'Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022' says international collaboration will be critical to successfully transition to sustainability, given the global scale and fast pace of change that is required.

"Action by governments and businesses individually is necessary, but not sufficient. Well-targeted international collaboration can make low-carbon transitions faster, less difficult and lower cost.

“By aligning and coordinating actions internationally, countries and businesses can accelerate innovation, create stronger signals for investment and larger economies of scale, and establish level playing fields, where needed, to ensure that competition is a driver of the transition and not a brake," it says.

"International assistance, finance and the sharing of best practice can support widespread adoption of effective policies and available technologies. International infrastructure can enable cross-border flows of clean energy. Without international collaboration, the transition to net-zero global emissions could be delayed by decades," the IEA emphasises.

The IEA Breakthrough Agenda Report 2022 focuses on actions in five sectors – power, hydrogen, road transport, steel and agriculture, which account for more than 50% of global greenhouse-gas emissions, and for which the signatories have so far agreed on goals under the Breakthrough Agenda.

"Clean technologies and sustainable solutions are not yet the most affordable or accessible options in these sectors, except in the power sector, and even in the power sector, this is not yet the case in all countries.

"Meeting the Breakthrough Agenda goals in these sectors will require concerted action from governments, businesses and civil society, while doing so could enable all countries to make faster progress, greatly increasing the chances of avoiding more dangerous levels of climate change and meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals," the IEA says.

SECTOR RECOMMENDATIONS

The power sector accounts for about 13 Gt of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), or 23%, of total emissions, which has risen by about 10% since 2010 and needs to fall by more than 50% by 2030.

Investment will need to grow 25% each year, reaching $2-trillion a year by 2030.

Hydrogen production and use, meanwhile, accounts for about 0.9 Gt of CO2e, or 1.5% of total emissions.

Renewable and low-carbon hydrogen production currently accounts for less than 1% of total production. Targets and commitments to use low-carbon and renewable hydrogen are equivalent to 3% of current total hydrogen demand. Currently, 15% of ammonia and 28% of methanol is internationally traded, the IEA report indicates.

"Governments and companies should coordinate internationally to increase commitments for the use of low-carbon and renewable hydrogen in sectors where hydrogen is currently used, supported by specific policies and purchase agreements to collectively send a strong demand signal and mobilise investment in production.

"In new priority application sectors, countries should share learning to accelerate early deployment. This should be done in a manner that ensures a level playing field in international trade," the IEA recommends.

Further, the road transport sector accounts for about 6 Gt of CO2e, or 10% of total emissions, which has risen by 13% since 2010 and needs to decrease by nearly 33% by 2030.

"Public charging infrastructure needs to increase ten-fold by 2030. If major markets align their policies with zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2035, cost parity between ZEVs and internal combustion engine vehicles could be reached several years earlier.

“Further, more than 60% of the vehicles added to the roads in Africa each year are imported used vehicles," the IEA report highlights.

Meanwhile, the steel sector accounts for about 3 Gt of CO2e, or 5% of total emissions, which has risen by about 15% since 2010 and needs to fall by about 25% by 2030.

Glob...