Terence Creamer
Terence Creamer is the Editor of Engineering News and a Deputy Editor for Mining Weekly. He also has editorial responsibility for Polity.org.za and Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa.
Trust deficit
10th February 2023 While the plan for tackling South Africa’s long-running power crisis has broadly taken shape, well-founded concerns persist. Many of these... →
Ramaphosa to appoint Minister of Electricity as crisis is declared a national disaster
9th February 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that he would be appointing a new Minister of Electricity in The Presidency to coordinate the response to the... →
DMRE promises urgency as Koeberg seeks to secure ongoing supply of Westinghouse fuel
3rd February 2023 The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy (DMRE) says it is working with other departments to expedite negotiations on a new nuclear... →
Taxing issue?
3rd February 2023 Unlike President Cyril Ramaphosa, who has requested the Eskom board to act unlawfully by not implementing a tariff decision arrived at by an... →
Eskom confirms diesel funding, outlines nuclear fuel options
2nd February 2023 Struggling power utility Eskom has confirmed that it has secured funding to pay for its diesel requirements for the remainder of the current... →
NECOM outlines plan for adding and recovering 8 800 MW in 2023
31st January 2023 Initiatives being coordinated under the aegis of the National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM) will seek to add about 8 800 MW of capacity to the... →
Ramaphosa affirms Nersa’s independence in setting tariffs, but still calls for mitigation solution
30th January 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa has acknowledged that tariffs that reflect the cost of producing electricity are necessary for Eskom’s financial... →
Muddling problems and solutions
27th January 2023 South Africa’s power crisis is effectively death by a thousand cuts. It’s the consequence of decades of poor policy choices and inappropriate... →
As diesel funding model is mooted, Eskom confirms diesel spend of R18bn and climbing
24th January 2023 Eskom CFO Calib Cassim told lawmakers on Tuesday that the State-owned utility had spent R18-billion on diesel for its current financial... →
Ramaphosa doubles down on Energy Action Plan, but says loadshedding can’t be stopped overnight
23rd January 2023 President Cyril Ramaphosa has indicated that there is no intention of overhauling the Energy Action Plan he unveiled in July last year, even while... →
Eskom to apply for enviro exemption to allow for earlier restart of Kusile units
22nd January 2023 Eskom will approach the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) for an exemption to allow it to temporarily bypass the flue... →
Glimpse into NECOM’s proposed ‘roadmap to end loadshedding’
20th January 2023 The National Energy Crisis Committee (NECOM), which is overseeing the implementation of the National Energy Plan announced by President Cyril... →
Regressive step
20th January 2023 The African National Congress’ resolution to relocate the country’s large State-owned enterprises (SOEs) under their line departments is a... →
Nersa approves 18.65% Eskom hike as it holds back on big diesel request
12th January 2023 The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) has granted Eskom an 18.65% tariff increase for implementation on April 1, below the 32% hike... →
‘Mutually dependent’
16th December 2022 German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, made two provocative points during the fourth... →
Gordhan describes Mantashe’s comments as ‘unfair and uncalled for’ as he praises outgoing Eskom CEO
15th December 2022 Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan responded with an “emphatic no” to a question as to whether government considered outgoing Eskom CEO... →
Energy Regulator postpones Eskom tariff decision as Christmas Eve deadline looms
14th December 2022 The Energy Regulator has postponed deciding on Eskom’s tariffs for 2023/24 and 2024/25 after the Electricity Subcommittee (ELS) of the National... →
Organised business urges govt to fund Eskom diesel
9th December 2022 Organised business has called on government to fund adequate and reliable diesel supply for the country’s national peaking generators, which it... →
Disappointing outcome
9th December 2022 Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) has attempted to put a positive gloss on its recent attempt to sell 16 slots on its Cape and Container corridors that... →
Only five solar projects advance to preferred-bidder status following latest renewables round
8th December 2022 In a disappointing development, Minerals Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe has announced the appointment of only six preferred bidders,... →
Industrial development and climate action are ‘mutually dependent’ – Habeck
7th December 2022 German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck, who is also Minister of Economic Affairs and Climate Action, argues that there can no longer be a trade-off... →
Eskom moves to appeal Babcock boiler maintenance judgment
6th December 2022 Eskom has given notice that it intends applying for leave to appeal a Gauteng High Court judgment setting aside a decision by the utility to... →
Dire warning
2nd December 2022 By this time next week, Eskom is likely, against the advice of some, to have shut Koeberg Unit 1 for an extended refuelling and maintenance... →
South Africa’s green hydrogen commercialisation strategy to be released for comment
1st December 2022 Cabinet has approved the publication of the Green Hydrogen Commercialisation Strategy (GHCS) for public comment. Minister in the Presidency Mondli... →
Six-month ban imposed on export of copper scrap as South Africa seeks to combat theft
30th November 2022 The South African government has imposed a six-month ban on the export of copper and copper-alloy scrap, as well as most ferrous scrap as part of... →
Embedded generation project pipeline stands at 9 GW – Ramaphosa
28th November 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa reports that the pipeline of confirmed private embedded generation projects has increased to 100 with a total combined... →
Recovery with risks
25th November 2022 Besides the shock resignation of acting generation MD Rhulani Mathebula, who himself stepped in to the role when Phillip Dukashe resigned in May,... →
Govt aiming to wrap up consultations on R1.5tr JET-IP by mid-Feb
22nd November 2022 Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment Minister Barbara Creecy reports that public consultations on the country’s Just Energy Transition... →
Cabinet approves measures to restrict scrap exports, but details yet to be released
18th November 2022 Cabinet has approved a “comprehensive package” of policy measures to restrict trade in scrap metal to limit damage to public infrastructure,... →
Just the start
18th November 2022 It has been a big couple of weeks for South Africa’s nascent and, at times, half-heartedly supported just energy transition. It began on the... →
Eskom must issue fresh boiler maintenance tender after Babcock’s disqualification is declared unlawful
17th November 2022 The Gauteng High Court has reviewed and set aside an Eskom decision to exclude Babcock Ntuthuko Engineering from contracts to maintain and repair... →
Eskom presents 6 000 MW fleet recovery plan, but describes 75% EAF target as ‘daunting’
15th November 2022 Electricity utility Eskom has outlined a plan to deliver 6 000 MW of much-needed capacity over the coming two years from its own fleet, primarily... →
CSIR statistics underline how significantly loadshedding has intensified during 2022
14th November 2022 Statistics released by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) underlined how significantly loadshedding has intensified during... →
EIB’s €200m funding of DBSA to support 1 200 MW private renewables roll-out
11th November 2022 The European Investment Bank (EIB) has extended a €200-million line of credit to the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) to support the... →
Stop playing politics
11th November 2022 Recent events confirm that, while South Africa’s energy transition is firmly under way, political obstacles persist – ones that are undermining not... →
National Treasury releases details of ‘highly concessional’ AFD, KfW loans worth €600m
10th November 2022 The National Treasury has released details of what it describes as “highly concessional” loans with a combined value of €600-million, which are the... →
Mminele outlines Just Energy Transition Investment Plan implementation vision
10th November 2022 The International Partners Group (IPG) of France, Germany, the UK, the US and the EU jointly endorsed South Africa’s Just Energy Transition... →
France and Germany kick-start JETP funding with €600m agreement
9th November 2022 The French and German development banks, AFD and KfW, have signed agreements with the South African government to each extend €300-million in... →
‘Stopgap’ procurement rules do not scrap BEE or local content, Minister insists
8th November 2022 Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has dismissed suggestions that new preferential procurement regulations, published on November 4, have scrapped... →
Accelerating replacement generation rather than 75% EAF should be main Eskom performance measure
7th November 2022 Setting a recovery in Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) to 75% as a key performance indicator (KPI) for the board and the executive is not... →
$8.5bn ‘catalytic’ but insufficient to deliver $99bn Just Energy Transition Investment Plan
5th November 2022 President Cyril Ramaphosa says the $8.5-billion (R128-billion) in concessional climate financing on offer from various developed countries to South... →
