June 07, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's Power Crisis Will Continue Until 2025 - and Blackouts Will Take 5 Years to Phase Out
South Africa is in the middle of a severe electricity crisis, with enforced power cuts that have worsened every year. Electricity is sometimes unavailable for 10 hours a day. The… Read more »
June 01, 2023
South Africa: Solutions to Power Blackouts Lie in Solar Farms and Battery Storage At Scale - And an End to State Monopoly
Rolling blackouts are costing South Africa dearly. The electricity crisis is a barrier to growth, destroys investor confidence and handicaps almost every economic activity. It has… Read more »
May 25, 2023
Africa: Greenwashing - Energy Companies Make False Claims About Sustainability - They Should Be Held to Account
Companies implement corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a way to present an environmentally responsible image and therefore gain legitimacy in the eyes of their stakeholders.… Read more »
May 24, 2023
South Africa: Former CEO's Explosive Book Exposes How State Power Utility Eskom Was Destroyed
One repeated theme of the memoir Truth to Power: My Three Years Inside Eskom, by Andre de Ruyter, former CEO of South Africa's troubled power utility, Eskom, is that "negligence… Read more »
May 01, 2023
South Africa: Power Cuts and Food Safety - How to Avoid Illness During Loadshedding
South Africa has been grappling with power cuts for 15 years, which have worsened in recent years. The persistent power outages have disrupted every facet of life, including food… Read more »
Libya: Libya Lost, Then Found, 2.5 Tonnes of Uranium - a Red Flag for Nuclear Safety
Earlier this year the International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi reported that about 2.5 tonnes of uranium ore concentrate had gone missing from a site in… Read more »
April 26, 2023
Sudan: Sudan's Conflict Has Its Roots in Three Decades of Elites Fighting Over Oil and Energy
Sudan stands on the brink of yet another civil war sparked by the deadly confrontation between the Sudan Armed Forces of General Abdelfatah El-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces… Read more »
April 18, 2023
South Africa: South Africa's Power Outages Could Reach Critical Levels This Winter - Likely Scenarios
Over the past 15 years South Africa has been experiencing a gradually worsening number of electricity cuts. This state of affairs has prompted frustration among citizens, negative… Read more »
April 10, 2023
Africa: Energy Sector Will Need to Transform Radically - These Are the Five Biggest Challenges
The future of Africa's energy sector is getting increasing attention from policymakers and the private sector. As demand for energy rises, current energy systems must grow rapidly… Read more »
April 04, 2023
South Africa: Green Energy - South Africa's Transition Must Avoid Deepening Inequality
Since the UN Climate Change Agreement was signed by 196 nations in December 2015, many countries have announced policies to reduce their fossil fuel emissions. Read more »
March 15, 2023
South Africa: Power Cuts Are Hurting Small Businesses in South Africa
Worldwide, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are seen as the backbone of a thriving economy. They make up a substantial portion of the total number of companies and are estimated… Read more »
March 14, 2023
South Africa: Why New Electricity Minister Should Heed the Words of Former Eskom CEO
A month ago South Africans heard some hard truths about the state of the power utility, Eskom, from the outgoing CEO André de Ruyter. In an interview broadcast on… Read more »
March 02, 2023
South Africa: Roads and Power Lines Put Primates in Danger - South African Data Adds to the Real Picture
About 25 million kilometres of new roads are expected to be built around the world by 2050. Along with power lines and railways, roads cut through the landscape everywhere,… Read more »
February 23, 2023
Africa: South Africa's Bailout of Eskom Won't End Power Cuts
The announcement by the South African finance minister, Enoch Godongwana, of debt relief for the country's troubled power utility, Eskom, is a step forward. It will fix one… Read more »
February 22, 2023
South Africa: Power Crisis - Going Off the Grid Works for the Wealthy But Could Deepen Injustice for the Poor
South Africa's current electricity crisis has been described as "a perfect storm". A number of factors have converged to reach this point: an ageing and inadequately maintained… Read more »
February 17, 2023
Africa: Installing a Backup Power Supply - Electrical Engineers Answer Your Questions
South Africa's electricity utility Eskom has made it clear that "loadshedding" - rolling scheduled power cuts - isn't going to end any time soon. This reality, and President Cyril… Read more »
February 12, 2023
South Sudan: South Sudan's Oil and Water Give It Bargaining Power - but Will It Benefit the People?
South Sudan has long been one of east Africa's most unstable states. But surging external interest in its resources and the diplomatic agility of its rulers are again underlining… Read more »
February 04, 2023
South Africa: Robberies Surge As Criminals Take Advantage of Power Outages
The acute energy crisis in South Africa has adversely affected all aspects of the society. Regular and lengthy power outages - which started in 2007 are also contributing to an… Read more »
January 23, 2023
South Africa: Power Cuts Play Havoc With the Country's Water System
South Africans had to deal with the worst ever series of power cuts in 2022. All in all the country lost a record 205 days of electricity due to constant breakdowns at the… Read more »
January 20, 2023
South Africa: Power Cuts in South Africa - Trend to Get Off the Grid Is Gathering Pace, but Total Independence Is Still a Way Off
South Africans have been battered by power shortages for several years. These have worsened to the point that towards the end of 2022 the country's electricity utility, Eskom, had… Read more »
January 19, 2023
Africa: Installing Solar-Powered Refrigerators in Developing Countries Can Reduce Hunger and Slow Climate Change
Food loss and waste are major problems around the world. When food is tossed aside or allowed to spoil, it makes economies less productive and leaves people hungry. Read more »
December 15, 2022
South Africa: Why Finding a New Head for South Africa's Struggling Power Utility Won't End the Blackouts
For a multitude of reasons, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter's resignation is a huge setback for the state-owned power utility and South Africa. It comes at a time when the utility, which… Read more »
November 22, 2022
Africa: All Signs Point to Blowing Past the 1.5 Degrees Global Warming Limit - Here's What We Can Still Do #AfricaClimateCrisis
The world could still, theoretically, meet its goal of keeping global warming under 1.5 degrees Celsius, a level many scientists consider a dangerous threshold. Realistically,… Read more »
November 16, 2022
South Africa: South Africa Can Reduce Emissions and Create Jobs. a Tough Task, but Doable
South Africa has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of unemployment and inequality in the world. It is also one of the world's most emissions-intensive… Read more »
Africa: Renewable Energy Will Need More Investment, or Africa Will Stay Dependent On Fossil Fuels
Renewable energy technologies such as solar photovoltaics and onshore wind power can help sub-Saharan Africa meet its energy requirements from sources that have lower emissions… Read more »