Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa during his visit at Hendrina Power Station. File Picture: Jairus Mmutle, GCIS
SOUTH Africa's Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa announced a significant improvement in generation capacity due to the reduced demand for electricity as warmer weather approaches.
Speaking on Sunday in Hatfield, Pretoria, Ramokgopa stated that the increase in capacity does not signal the end of load shedding, but assures the team's commitment to the long-term sustainability of reliable units.
The current availability of capacity is trending upward, reaching 29,000 MW.
Although the stages of load shedding were intensified during winter, the lessening severity of cold weather is expected to decrease demand.
“For long-term sustainability, it's important to take out certain units as and when necessary, planned maintenance is necessary to induce the intensity of load shedding. It's short-term pain, but long-term gain because when these units come back they are able to sustain the level of performance for designed conditions,” Ramokgopa explained.
The minister also addressed the challenges faced by municipalities struggling with power outages outside the load shedding schedule.
Many municipalities are dealing with financial constraints and historical debts to Eskom, as well as illegal connections placing demand on already strained infrastructure.
To tackle these issues, Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana has introduced measures to offer debt relief for indebted municipalities. Furthermore, the government plans to collaborate with the private sector to explore solutions for under-performing power stations.
Last week, Ramokgopa reported that his department achieved a 56% aggregate success rate in implementing the president's Energy Action Plan (EAP), making strides towards alleviating the energy crisis. Of the 50 actions earmarked, eight have been completed, 12 are delayed but progressing, and 20 are on track.