Press Releases
Bay’s renewable energy projects set for roll-out - over 2 years ago
AFTER several years of intense discussion and planning, the first of Nelson Mandela Bay’s R2-billion renewable energy projects is to be rolled out in a week’s time, the Central Energy Fund (CEF) announced yesterday. Five years after the municipality began investigating the viability of renewable energy, 500 solar-heated geysers will be installed, primarily at the homes of consenting municipal employees and industries related to the roll-out, from the middle of this month, at a cost of R10-million.
Two wind farms in the pipeline for Bay - over 2 years ago
THE Windy City is going to be living up to its reputation. Two wind farms that will generate a combined 70MW of power are planned for Port Elizabeth – one in the Coega industrial development zone (IDZ) and the other on the outskirts of the city. They form part of a basket of renewable energy projects, worth nearly R2-billion, that the Central Energy Fund (CEF) is developing in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
Renewable energy high on the agenda - over 2 years ago
THE Cacadu District Municipal and the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) have joined forces to promote the renewable energy sector in the Eastern Cape “to ensure that the region takes full advantage of the opportunities” in this sector. Nelson Mandela Bay is at the forefront of renewable energy and the Central Energy Fund (CEF) has announced a basket of R2-billion in investment opportunities in this field for the metro.
Exxaro to form clean-energy company - over 3 years ago
JSE-listed coal-mining company Exxaro intends forming a clean-energy company in which it will raise funding for clean-energy projects with strategic partners, Exxaro Executive GM business growth Ernst Venter said on Thursday. Exxaro is part of the Tsitsikamma community wind farm consortium, which plans to generate 40 MW of wind power by 2013, from a R1-billion project in the Eastern Cape. That consortium includes the Tsitsikamma Development Trust, Watt Energy and the Danish Industrialisation Fund for Developing Countries and Danish power producer European Energy,
Answer Is Blowing In The Wind - over 3 years ago
REAL PEOPLE DOING UNREAL THINGS As a child growing up in the Tsitsikamma, Eastern Cape, entrepreneur Mike Msizi thought he lived in the windiest place in SA. Now the majority shareholder in an alternative-energy company that plans to build a wind farm where he grew up, he has found out that what he thought as a boy is pretty much true.
Tsitsikamma community to benefit from wind turbine project - over 3 years ago
Green energy is the new frontier, and with electricity under pressure, the project is part of the community's solution. Phase one is a 40-megawatt commercial wind farm, estimated at R1 billion. The turbines will generate more than 20 megawatts of electricity per hour. Currently, the farming community has no electricity and few jobs.
R1bn Tsitsikamma Wind Energy Plan - over 3 years ago
A R1-BILLION wind energy project with major benefits for a poverty-stricken Mfengu community was launched in Tsitsikamma yesterday (November 30th, 2009. The proposed Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm will be established on 7000ha of the farm Wittekleibosch, bought in 1994 by the government to settle the Mfengu families, who had been removed forcibly to Ciskeis Keiskammahoek under apartheid. The aim is that the community will benefit from a share of the R14-million annual revenue, which will come from selling the electricity generated to Eskom at an agreed buy-back rate of R1,25 a kilowatt.
40-MW wind-power project planned for Tsitsikamma - over 3 years ago
A memorandum of understanding was signed on Monday at Wittekleibosch in the Eastern Cape between partners hoping to develop the Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm (TCWF) project. The project would aim to generate about 40 MW of wind power by 2013, and would be worth about R1-billion. Other key partners in the project include: the Eastern Cape Community Wind Energy Development Association (ECCWEDA); the Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas; the Danish Export Credit Fund, which would provide debt credits; the Danish energy utility Dong Energy, which would procure carbon credits from the project; and Danish wind laboratory Riso, which was responsible for wind measuring and mapping.
Poor to benefit from wind farm - over 3 years ago
Port Elizabeth - A wind farm that will bring an estimated investment of R1bn to a poor community in the Kou-Kamma municipality in the Eastern Cape could deliver its first renewable energy to the national power grid by 2013. The Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm is expected to produce 40MW and have about 20 wind turbines. Turbines with a capacity of 2MW and about 80m high are being planned, says Jeff Cheong, head of business development at wind-turbine manufacturer Vestas.
The real price of energy - over 3 years ago
The recent request by Eskom to the National Energy Regulator of SA to increase tariffs by 45% every year for the next three years has been met with outrage, shock and a flurry of impotent online petitions in a bid to stop it. But the price hike is actually good news. The price that Eskom charges does not factor in the cost to our health and the cost to our environment. Fossil fuels are dirty fuels. Burning coal and oil pollutes the air, pollutes water and creates health problems. Burning fossil fuels emits carbon and other greenhouse gases and changes the climate of the earth. A move to a low-carbon economy has significant benefits, including lower healthcare costs, lower air and water pollution, energy security, job creation and a more stable economy. It could also save humankind from extinction.