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Although there has been a reprieve for many businesses and households in recent months, Eskom has yet to repair problem power plants, a process that will take a long time.
Eskom’s Megawatt Park offices in Sunninghill. Image: EWN
CAPE TOWN – Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter on Thursday called for South Africans for “patience and understanding” after the power company announced that massive and intermittent power outages would remain a reality until at least September 2021.
Although there has been a breather for many businesses and households in recent months, Eskom has yet to repair problem power plants, a process that will take a long time.
De Ruyter said, however, that the repairs portion of the Eskom restoration process was only one piece of the puzzle.
“Due to the traditional generation capacity in South Africa, Eskom cannot do much to fix and repair the current plants we have, but we need new capacity to enter the grid and therefore we are very happy to see the acquisition schedule. launched by Minister Mantashe of Minerals and Energy, to add another 11.8 gigawatts to the grid. We think more is required. “
Although Eskom has not been implementing load reduction, it has resorted to what it now calls “load reduction”, where sections of some areas have their power cut to relieve pressure on the national grid.
The utility company released its latest report on the state of the network on Thursday.
Meanwhile, as Eskom’s debt continues to go in the wrong direction, de Ruyter said a potential solution was being explored at Nedlac, while also exploring the benefits of green financing.
Nedlac has grappled with the Eskom issue for months, with companies, government, workers and the community, looking for different alternatives to rescue the country’s main source of energy.
De Ruyter said there was no single solution, as they now had to borrow money to pay the interest on their loans.
“When we are also seeing the opportunity to access green financing, and this green financing is something that creates a very positive window of opportunity for us. As we decarbonize our economy and retire some of our old power plants that have reached the end of their lives, to cross over to low or no carbon energy sources and in the process access to low cost funds ”.
Eskom’s debt is approaching the 500 billion rand mark and has been described as one of the biggest threats to the country’s economy.
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