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Hartmut Winkler

Professor of Physics, University of Johannesburg
A lifelong academic who served stints as Dean of Science and acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Academic at the former Vista University in South Africa and was until recently the Head of Physics at the University of Johannesburg.

Research interests range from astrophysics through to atmospheric physics, solar energy and energy supply.

A vocal commentator on South African energy issues, especially the renewables versus nuclear debate.

South Africa’s electricity crisis: what political parties say in their election manifestos about solving it

Mar 28, 2024 12:04 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

South Africa is in the middle of a deep electricity crisis. In 2023 the public, many of whom are voters, experienced the worst loadshedding to date, losing power for an average of five hours a day. The power shortages...

South Africa's new plan to end power cuts is seriously flawed. Here's why

Jan 09, 2024 23:03 pm UTC| Economy

South Africa experienced unprecedented electricity shortages in 2023 as ageing coal plants became increasingly prone to breakdowns. The country urgently needs to develop new electricity generation facilities and reduce...

South Africa power outages: some improvement but a long way to go before the grid is stable

Nov 01, 2023 07:12 am UTC| Economy

Over the past few months, South Africas power generation sector has performed better than expected. Four factors explain this: an acceleration of solar power installations, less frequent breakdowns at power stations, a...

South Africa's nuclear sector has failed its test: the Koeberg nuclear plant life extension

Aug 21, 2022 17:23 pm UTC| Science Economy

South Africas only nuclear power plant, Koeberg, has frequently been in the news in 2022, all for the wrong reasons. Its operating licence expires in 2024, and its continued operation thereafter depends on critical...

Global Geopolitics Series

Russia's nuclear power exports: will they stand the strain of the war in Ukraine?

Mar 07, 2022 10:13 am UTC| Politics

Russias invasion of the Ukraine has led to massive sanctions and resulted in heavy blows to its economy. It has also led to unprecedented condemnation of Russias leadership, as well as growing international...

Power shortages will remain a big challenge in a post-COVID-19 South Africa

Apr 21, 2020 12:42 pm UTC| Economy

The decline in economic activity precipitated by the spread of COVID-19 and ensuing lockdown in South Africa is also affecting the countrys electricity supply dynamics. The power outages that were disrupting the economy...

Economy

Gold Prices Rise as Hormuz Tensions Fuel Inflation Risks

Gold prices moved higher on Thursday, recovering from their lowest level since early August as renewed tensions around the Strait of Hormuz increased concerns over energy supplies and inflation. Expectations that the...

Oil Prices Rise as Gulf Hurricane and Middle East Supply Risks Mount

Oil prices climbed on Thursday as traders assessed potential supply disruptions from a strengthening storm along the U.S. Gulf Coast and persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Brent crude futures for December...

US-Led Coalition Targets Global Factory Overcapacity

Trade ministers from 12 G20 nations, the European Union and Poland have backed a US-led initiative aimed at tackling structural excess factory capacity and trade-distorting policies that contribute to global...

Mike Rogers Calls for End to US-Canada Tariff War

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers is calling for an immediate end to the US-Canada tariff dispute, distancing himself from President Donald Trump on another major policy issue ahead of next months election....

Bangladesh GDP Growth Accelerates to 4.6% on Industrial Rebound

Bangladeshs economy recorded a sharp acceleration in growth during the April-June quarter, supported by a strong recovery in industrial activity and steady expansion in the services sector, even as agriculture lost...

Politics

US Pressures Allies to Distance From Anti-Disinformation Conference

The US State Department urged Canada and European allies to distance themselves from an anti-disinformation conference after organizers included a panel examining whether the United States poses an information manipulation...

Hegseth Praises USS Abraham Lincoln Crew After Record Iran War Deployment

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth praised sailors aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln on Wednesday as the aircraft carrier completed an extended wartime deployment marked by intense combat operations and concerns over crew...

Tsai Warns of China’s Sustained Pressure on Taiwan

Former Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen warned a U.S. audience on Wednesday that China is maintaining sustained pressure on Taiwan through military, cyber and economic activities designed to reshape the islands security...

Trump Backs Florida Golf Course as Presidential Retreat

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday endorsed a proposal to transform part of his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course into a secure presidential retreat similar to Camp David. Its a great idea, and it will be used a...

Saudi Airport Attacks Kill Three as Yemen Fighting Escalates

Three people were killed and dozens wounded in attacks on airports in Saudi Arabia as escalating fighting between Yemens Iran-aligned Houthis and Saudi-backed government forces threatens regional aviation and key shipping...

Science

Blue Origin New Glenn Explosion Could Delay Launch Operations Until 2028

Blue Origin is facing a significant setback after a dramatic explosion involving its New Glenn rocket severely damaged a launch pad at Cape Canaveral, Florida. According to NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, repairs to the...

Blue Origin New Glenn Rocket Explodes During Launch Pad Test, Delaying Space Ambitions

Blue Origin suffered a major setback after its uncrewed New Glenn rocket exploded during a launch pad test in Florida on Thursday, raising new challenges for Jeff Bezos space company as it competes with Elon Musks SpaceX...

SpaceX Delays Starship V3 Launch Ahead of Potential Record IPO

SpaceX on Thursday postponed the highly anticipated launch of its 12th Starship rocket test from Texas after technical issues interrupted the final countdown. The company now plans to attempt the Starship V3 launch again...

Trump Administration Releases New UFO Files and Apollo Mission Records

The U.S. Defense Department has released dozens of previously classified UFO-related files following an order from President Donald Trump, sparking renewed debate over unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) and government...

China vs. NASA: The New Moon Race and What's at Stake by 2030

The space race is back and this time, its a direct competition between the United States and China for dominance on the lunar surface. NASAs Artemis II mission recently made history when four astronauts flew farther into...

Technology

Tencent Shares Fall as $5 Billion AI Bond Sale Weighed

Tencent Holdings (HK:0700) shares declined on Thursday following reports that the Chinese technology giant is exploring a potential offshore bond offering worth up to $5 billion to support its growing artificial...

Elon Musk Accuses Indian Telecom Giants of Blocking Starlink Launch

Elon Musk has accused powerful telecommunications companies in India of obstructing SpaceXs Starlink satellite internet launch, raising concerns about competition and regulatory barriers in one of the worlds largest...

Solidigm Taps Goldman, Morgan Stanley for $10 Billion US IPO

SK hynixs U.S. flash-memory subsidiary Solidigm has reportedly selected Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley as lead underwriters for a planned initial public offering that could raise around $10 billion. Bloomberg News...

Samsung Q3 Profit Hits Record High on AI Memory Demand

Samsung Electronics forecast its strongest-ever third-quarter operating profit as booming artificial intelligence demand continued to fuel sales of advanced memory chips, although earnings landed slightly below the higher...

Broadcom, Oracle and SpaceX Seek Billions in Private Debt for AI Expansion

Major artificial intelligence companies are increasingly turning to private debt markets to finance tens of billions of dollars in AI chips and data center infrastructure, as traditional funding sources struggle to keep...