Eco Minute 13:30

BULLETIN 19 January 1:30 pm

Good afternoon, here is your Eco Minute:

# City of Cape Town firefighters are currently working on containing a fire that broke out in the Redhill area yesterday evening. Five fire engines, three water tankers, two bush tenders and a skid unit have been deployed. The city’s Fire and Rescue Services spokesperson, Jermaine Carelse, says three helicopters were deployed to water-bomb the area earlier this morning. He adds that no properties have been affected, and no injuries reported:

# The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment has extended the deadline for public comments on the review of the Coastal Waters Discharge Permits. The permits are issued to fish processing facilities operating within St Helena Bay on the West Coast. The department says the review process of the permits aims to amend inconsistencies in the conditions of the permits, establish uniformity, and ensure gradual and consistent improvement of water quality in St Helena Bay over five years. The deadline is now the 29th of next month.

# And finally: Independent power company Globeleq has completed a 700-million-rand debt restructuring of its Aries and Konkoonsies solar plants in the Northern Cape. The eleven-megawatt solar plants began operating in 2014 as part of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. Globeleq says the restructuring allows for several things, including a significant reduction in wholesale electricity prices from the plants, a more efficient capital structure, and the release of funds for shareholders to reinvest in the power sector.

Stay tuned for more news………….