Projects

We collaborated with Econex in producing an expert report for Eskom on the hardship claim by Optimum. In addition to critically reviewing the details provided in the Optimum claim, we developed a range of strategic arguments that Eskom could employ to defend its case. ...

Meridian was appointed as the economics advisors as part of a professional team that prepared an official complaint with the South African Competition Commission. Meridian conducted a detailed competition assessment and prepared an economists expert report that formed the central part of the submission to the competition authorities. ...

After a thorough analysis of the client's business strategy, we constructed both a levelised cost tariff model and a rate of return tariff model. Based on the client's business requirements we advised the implementation of a levelised cost tariff indexed to inflation. We created a complex levelised cost model to calculate the appropriate tariff to be charged considering the financial implications of various operational scenarios. We were instrumental in the NERSA application process, writing all submission documentation for the client's final review. The tariff application was successfully approved, unchallenged, by NERSA in March 2013. To our knowledge this was the ...

We provided analytical, and strategic support in a number of Gas Supply Agreement negotiations between our client (a piped-gas trader) and their customers. We assisted by calculating the possible profit impact of offering customised escalation adjustment mechanisms under uncertain future scenarios, and by quantifying the sensitivity of a customer's pricing to the pattern-of-use elements of the pricing mechanism under their control. We created innovative mechanisms to facilitate differential pricing for appropriate customers whilst complying with the non-discriminatory requirements of the regulatory environment. ...

Our role was to prepare a specialist economist report in response to aspects of the applicant's founding affidavit and in support of the client's case at the Ports Regulator. ...

Meridian was appointed to review the proposed changes and to prepare comments on behalf of the client with the aim of ensuring that the client's preferred commercial pricing strategy would be achievable under the new regulations. We also represented the client at a DOE consultation workshop. ...

We built a financial model of the savings that would be realised by the power utility under various possible operational modes, quantities of gas sold and instantaneous demand requirements. We integrated this model with the clients own financial model to ensure that multiple scenarios could be analysed both from the client's perspective and that of the utility. ...

Meridian conducted a review of the regulatory regime that applies to the different aspects of the piped gas value chain (including production, transmission, compression, storage, re-gassification, distribution, trading, etc.) and advised the client accordingly. ...

In this high-level study, we analysed the nature of the City's existing network and generation infrastructure and considered the demand-side data that could be obtained from the City. We then evaluated the practical and economic potential for utilising the City's pump storage scheme, open cycle gas turbines, demand response and other innovative load curtailment strategies to avoid loadshedding. ...

We collaborated with the client in preparing the application. When NERSA questioned the use of an intangible asset in the calculation of the tariff we provided further specialist advisory services to support the basis of the tariff application. ...