Media Releases
Speaking at the workshop, CSIR Energy Research Centre Manager, Dr Thabo Hlalele, emphasised the critical role of the partnership between the CSIR and AFD in supporting South Africa’s energy transition.
“As a signatory to the Paris Agreement, South Africa has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. This commitment will lead to an expanded deployment of renewable energy technologies, creating opportunities for South African enterprises to participate in the renewable energy industry and supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. This collaboration between the CSIR and AFD represents a significant step towards understanding the challenges and opportunities South African enterprises face in the rapidly growing renewable energy industry,” says Dr Hlalele.
The report provides a detailed analysis of loadshedding statistics and the energy availability factor (EAF) during this timeframe.
The study compared Eskom's aggregated generation resources for 2024, including coal, nuclear, hydro, pumped storage, open cycle gas turbine, renewable energy independent power producer procurement programme, solar photovoltaic, wind and concentrated solar power with their installed capacities and energy production outputs from January to December 2024 to assess their impact on loadshedding.
This iteration also examined national average electricity tariff increases and compared it to the tariff in other countries.
On Wednesday 12 March, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) marked the successful completion of phase one of the Ngiyaqonda! project with the handover of mobile devices to the first pilot school. Ebuhleni Primary School received the devices during a handover event hosted at the school.
There is an increasing awareness of the literacy crisis in South African schools, most notably highlighted by a report from the 2030 Reading Panel, which revealed that approximately 80% of Grade 3 learners in South Africa cannot read for meaning in any language.
On Thursday, 13 February 2025, the Council for Scientific, and Industrial Research (CSIR) and Clyrofor signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to advance innovation, foster skills development and support the commercialisation of cybersecurity
Titled “Managing the impacts of a Green Hydrogen / Power-to-X economy: an Environmental Impact Assessment Guideline for South Africa”, the instructional manual offers practical guidance for assessment practitioners, project developers, decision-makers and stakeholders involved in the planning and environmental authorisation processes for complex green hydrogen systems.
Ocean productivity is one of the most critical processes on the planet because it helps to regulate global climate and supports essential ecosystem services (such as fisheries). Phytoplankton are microscopic plants that live in the sunlit surface of the waters of the ocean and drive the ocean productivity. However, despite the importance of phytoplankton, scientists do not have a clear understanding of how climate change can impact them. Some climate models suggest that ocean productivity will increase in the future, whilst others suggest that it will decline.
Abalone farmers along South Africa’s coast are now using ocean colour maps to track marine algal blooms that could harm their export molluscs. Scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) developed ocean colour and temperature data from satellites that is easy to access as an online tool. The work forms part of the country’s ocean economy plan to boost aquaculture jobs.
The CSIR-hosted Alliance for Collaboration on Climate and Earth Systems Science (ACCESS), along with other CSIR researchers and partners, are assessing the economic impacts of wind disruptions, and they are supporting the Transnet National Port Authority (TNPA) and its clients with short- and long-term wind predictions.
At the peak of the fruit picking and packing season, it is normal for Cape Town’s gusty summer southeaster to swirl over and around Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak. It is normal for that strong Cape Doctor wind to then blow down to the bay, focusing, as if through a lens, onto container ships and cranes moving in the port.
A recent international study (the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study) has sent shockwaves through the South African education community by revealing that more than eight out of ten Grade 4 learners cannot read for basic meaning in their home language. Without this essential skill, South African children are deprived of the opportunity to fulfil their true potential, with the impact being the most devastating for those from disadvantaged communities. Watch for more information