Load shedding will be a possibility for “some time to come,” said President Cyril Ramaphosa.
The president on Thursday was responding to questions from members of Parliament. In response to a question from DA leader John Steenhuisen about government’s plans to address the energy crisis, Ramaphosa noted that it is “”inevitable” as it is implemented to avoid a total collapse of the grid or blackout.
But government is working to address the “complex problem”.
Among the solutions include Eskom’s restructuring into three entities – generation, transmission and distribution – which are an important part of restructuring the electricity sector as a whole to allow new players in the generation space. Having more generators – including municipalities and independent power producers – will reduce the risk of having one entity having a sole monopoly in energy generation.
Other measures to introduce new participants in generation include lifting the licence exemption for generation facilities of 100 MW, as well as efforts to procure new emergency power and launching subsequent bidding rounds of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
There are many challenges to a secure and stable electricity supply, Ramaphosa said.
These include managing Eskom’s some R400 billion debt; overcoming the skills deficit in the country – when it comes to electricity provision; steadily improving municipal revenue collection; improving Eskom’s maintenance capabilities; and rooting out all forms of corruption and criminality at the power utility. Ramaphosa noted reports of sabotage, with Eskom’s pylons being cut.
Addressing concerns raised about Eskom’s leadership – its executive management and board – Ramaphosa said that leadership is a matter that is considered continuously. Ramaphosa said that Eskom’s management works with a number of blue-chip companies to service plants, which are old and tend to break often. Ramaphosa said he does not believe that leaders deliberately wake up to break down the power stations. “These [power stations] break down because they are aged.”-fin24
