ESI Africa

10/12/2025

LONGi has shared the global field performance results for its Back Contact (BC) technology platform and the Hi-MO 9 module, following an extensive testing programme conducted with customers, independent bodies and its own sites worldwide.

The programme assessed long-term power generation performance across a range of regions, including China, Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific and Latin America.

Testing covered everything from temperate continental climates to tropical, arid and high-humidity coastal environments, offering rare comparative insight into real-world module behaviour outside controlled laboratories.

The global dataset points to a high level of stability, consistency and economic performance, reinforcing the Hi-MO 9’s value proposition for developers operating in challenging or varied conditions.

Read the whole story for full analysis: https://www.esi-africa.com/news/longi-bc-technology-data-performance-reliability-exceed-expectations/

09/12/2025

Missed our webinar on BC technology? Watch it on-demand now!
Learn why lenders and asset owners are shifting to BC modules:

Reliability, warranties & long-term performance

Improved energy yields & system efficiency

Real-world examples in large-scale solar

🎥 Watch the session here: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0qgmZx0

Special thanks to LONGi for kicking off the discussion!

09/12/2025

LONGi’s London launch on 26 November signals a decisive strategic shift that the global energy sector should not overlook.

For the first time, Vice President Dennis She set out the company’s integrated Solar-Storage-Hydrogen strategy, positioning storage as the stabiliser in a power system where global electricity demand is set to double by 2050.

The newly presented Stability Triangle framework places solar as the energy creator, storage as the system stabiliser, and hydrogen as the balancing vector.

With world-leading PV and hydrogen technologies already in hand, LONGi’s expansion into storage now closes the loop on its end-to-end value chain.

Read: https://www.esi-africa.com/news/longi-enters-energy-storage-market-redefining-industry-standards-with-ultimate-safety/

01/12/2025

Rosatom’s Experimental Design Bureau of Mechanical Engineering (OKBM Afrikantov) has achieved a significant milestone with regulatory approval to manufacture components for the RITM-200 reactor plant using 3D printing technology. This approval represents the first certification of additive manufacturing for reactor-plant components in Russia’s nuclear sector.

The development follows the successful qualification of a 3D-printed terminal box used in nuclear power plant pumping equipment. Its approval signals a major shift in how critical nuclear components may be produced in future, potentially reducing lead times, lowering costs and increasing design flexibility.

The RITM-200 reactor, used in marine and floating nuclear applications, is built on more than 60 years of operational experience with nuclear-powered vessels, combined with modern 3D design tools and high-end simulation and supercomputer analysis.

As global interest in small modular and floating nuclear technologies grows, this breakthrough could accelerate deployment timelines and influence future manufacturing standards.

Read the full story:

01/12/2025

Eskom’s unaudited interim financials for the six months to 30 September 2025 paint a mixed picture for South Africa’s power sector.

The utility posted a 41% rise in profit before tax to R32.5 billion, and a 37% rise in profit after tax to R24.3 billion. Revenue increased by 4% to R191.3 billion, driven largely by the 12.74% tariff increase implemented on 1 April 2025.

However, the gains were offset by a 3% contraction in electricity sales to 92.8TWh, reflecting weaker economic activity and rising self-generation despite improved supply consistency since mid-2024.

Municipal debt remains one of Eskom’s most pressing structural constraints. Although 71 municipalities have entered the Municipal Debt Relief Programme, arrears still climbed to R105 billion by the end of September 2025.

Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana used the Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement to emphasise that sustained operational recovery at Eskom, sector restructuring and addressing distribution constraints are essential for growth. He also noted the uneven progress within the debt relief framework:

Read further analysis: https://www.esi-africa.com/news/eskom-finances-profits-and-revenue-up-sales-down/

01/12/2025

The 7th AU-EU summit in Luanda, framed around promoting peace and prosperity through effective multilateralism, was meant to usher in a new phase of the 25-year partnership. Instead, it revealed how far the relationship still is from meaningful joint action.

Held amid global and regional tensions that have strained multilateral cooperation, the summit echoed the discord seen at COP30 in Brazil and the G20 in South Africa. These same dynamics shape the AU-EU relationship, even though both sides share significant strategic interests.

The EU remains Africa’s largest trading partner and investor, accounting for 32% of total African exports, with billions committed through Global Gateway and long-standing cooperation on peace and security. But the final summit communiqué reads more like a diplomatic compromise than a reflection of Africa’s policy positions.

Key priorities appear softened and substantive disagreements were avoided, all of which raises questions about whether this 25th-anniversary summit marked progress or simply preserved optics.

To understand what this means for Africa’s negotiating power going forward, read the full analysis: https://www.esi-africa.com/news/why-eu-africa-summit-was-missed-opportunity-for-meaningful-joint-action/

01/12/2025

Investment in acid mine drainage treatment remains challenging when mine water is seen only as a liability.
A webinar explored how new technologies and cross-sector collaboration can unlock more sustainable mine water rehabilitation solutions.

01/12/2025

African political leaders are increasingly acknowledging that nuclear energy could play a meaningful role in addressing development shortfalls and persistent energy poverty across the continent.

In a discussion with ESI Africa during World Atomic Week in Moscow, Africa4Nuclear founder Princy Mthombeni highlighted the strong presence of heads of state and senior officials as evidence of the rising political weight nuclear energy now carries in Africa.

From floating nuclear power plants to small modular reactors, the event showcased advanced technologies and placed significant emphasis on the need for policy and regulatory readiness.

To understand why so many African leaders are now paying close attention to nuclear energy, watch the full video:

Princess Mthombeni, the Founder of Africa4Nuclear, spoke to ESI Africa on the sidelines of the World Atomic Week in Moscow earlier this year. She stressed th...

01/12/2025

🎥 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗱.

The ESI Africa × LONGi webinar on How BC Technology Is Redefining Solar Returns is now available to watch on demand.

The session dives into how advanced BC technology is improving solar performance, ROI, and long-term project value - with practical insights for C&I, utility-scale, EPC, and energy decision-makers across Africa and beyond.

👉 Watch the full webinar here:
https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0q38xp0

If you’re serious about extracting more value from your solar investments, this is essential viewing.

27/11/2025

A major solar industry showdown is unfolding in South Africa.

On Friday, 28 November, the North Gauteng High Court continues with ARTsolar’s case against how localisation policies are being applied, and how large IPPs interact with local manufacturers.

After investing over R120 million in a state-of-the-art, IDC-supported Tier 1 solar module facility, ARTsolar argues that policy signals intended to boost local manufacturing haven’t translated into real project opportunities. Their plant could deliver 25MW of Tier 1 modules every month, and could scale to 500MW a year if secure orders materialise.

What happens next could shape the future of local solar manufacturing.

Read the exclusive analysis: https://www.esi-africa.com/news/artsolar-localisation-case-industrial-policy-designed-to-fail/

27/11/2025

LIVE NOW: BC solar cells may have started in 1975, but today they’re among the most efficient modules in the industry. Our expert panel is breaking down what BC tech is, how it works, and why it’s outperforming conventional designs.

Happening fast. Join before you miss it:
https://streamyard.com/watch/4Vq94Deiimqc

27/11/2025

🚨 LIVE NOW: Join the Conversation! 🚨

The LONGI and ESI AFRICA webinar on "HOW BC TECHNOLOGY IS REDEFINING SOLAR RETURNS" is happening RIGHT NOW!

Don't miss out on expert insights. Click the link immediately to join the live stream:

WATCH LIVE HERE: https://eu1.hubs.ly/H0p_MWM0