[South Africa plans to add 8GW a year to the grid]On June 2, 2023, South Africa's current rollout of solar and wind power to increase the share of solar and wind in the country's energy mix from 7% to 40% by 2030 is the fastest way out of the electricity crisis, according to the South African Presidency's Climate Commission (PCC). It is also the cheapest option to build the energy sector South Africa needs to stick to its global climate commitments. The PCC, which was set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2020 to advise on issues such as a just energy transition, released a set of recommendations on electricity planning in South Africa on June 1. The PCC said South Africa aimed to solve its power crisis by integrating at least 8GW of wind and solar power into the grid annually over the next two to four years. About 2.5GW of new renewable energy projects are now registered with South Africa's national energy regulator. Experience shows that this target is achievable in the first three months of 2023. Ultimately, South Africa will need to add 50 to 60Gw of renewable energy by 2030. Steve Nicholls, head of mitigation issues at the PCC and climate change adviser at the National Business Initiative, said this would take the share of renewables in South Africa's energy mix to about 40 per cent. According to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, coal-fired power will account for around 80% of electricity generation by 2022, with renewables (excluding hydropower) accounting for 7%. Editor/Xu Shengpeng
China Power Construction Corporation has announced the candidates for the EPC bidding of two major photovoltaic composite projects with a total capacity of 900MW in Lingwu, Ningxia. The total bid amount is about 903.7 million yuan, and the cost per watt is about 1.004 yuan. The consortium of China Electric Power Construction Qinghai Institute, China Construction Third Engineering Bureau, and China Hydropower Tenth Engineering Bureau will take on two first places. The project is located in the Lingwu Gobi Desert, with a new technology demonstration test zone. It will start construction in July 2026 and be fully connected to the grid by the end of December, with a tight schedule. The contractor is responsible for the full cycle EPC and most of the land coordination work. The consortium of state-owned enterprises relies on design and construction advantages to control costs. After the power station is completed, it will be connected to the Ningxia high-voltage main network for external transmission of green electricity, helping local consumption indicators and the transmission of electricity from the west to the east.Editor/Gong Ziwei
At the invitation of the President of the People's Republic of China, Myanmar President Myint Aung Hlaing will pay a state visit to the People's Republic of China from June 15 to 19, 2026. The statement states that both sides agree to continue to leverage the role of the China Myanmar oil and gas pipeline, steadily promote power interconnection, and explore the construction of an economically and environmentally sustainable energy partnership. Both sides agree to implement a direct settlement mechanism between RMB and Burmese kyat to promote trade, and support strengthening trade and investment cooperation in areas of common interest such as agricultural product processing, oil, and energy.Editor/Gong Ziwei