POWER SAGA
Electricity generation is showing signs of ‘improvement’, says Ramokgopa
Electricity minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa has set his eyes on the expansion of 14,000km of transmission lines in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape. The move would unlock at least 2,335MW of energy in the short-term.
South Africa was spared from about 600 hours less of load shedding between December 2023 and 16 February 2024, says Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
He was speaking during a media briefing on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan in Pretoria on Monday — where he revealed that in the previous year, during the same period, the country experienced 1,801.25 hours which has since been decreased to 1,217.98 hours.
“The reduction in the intensity and frequency of load shedding as well as the positive EAF (energy availability factor) trajectory are signs that there is some improvement in the performance of the generation fleet. The focus remains on sustaining this trajectory,” he said.
The remarks came days after the power utility implemented continuous Stage 4 load shedding on Thursday, 22 February, following the loss of six generation units.
Luyanda Makhathini uses a paraffin light while cooking during rolling blackouts at her home in Soweto. (Photo: Reuters / Siphiwe Sibeko)
Three out of five
Ramokgopa said three out of five units at Kendal power station would be back online by the end of Monday, 26 February 2024.
On Sunday, Eskom announced that Stage 2 load shedding would remain in effect until 4pm on Monday, 26 February 2024. It had previously said Stage 3 would be implemented. The change was made possible by the recovery of its emergency reserves.
“Having sufficiently replenished emergency reserves over the weekend, Stage 2 load shedding will continue to be implemented until Monday 16:00. (Previously communicated that Stage 3 load shedding will be implemented at 4pm today until 5am)”
A total of 4,170MW of generating capacity was expected to be returned by Wednesday, the power utility said.
Ramokgopa said the highest level of planned maintenance was performed between December 2023 and January 2024, reaching an average of 18% of the generation capacity.
“Although heightened maintenance negated the EAF, the deliberate spike in planned maintenance is aimed at improving the reliability of the generation fleet to deliver long-term benefits and ensure the security of energy supply,” he said.
Two weeks ago, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced during the State of the Nation Address (Sona) that the government was “confident that the worst is behind us and the end of load shedding is finally within reach.”
Daily Maverick however has obtained a forecast of the electricity situation compiled by Eskom officials, in which they predict that it is set to be dire in 2024 and 2025.
During this period, South Africa is set to be between Stage 3, the best-case scenario, and Stage 6, the worst-case scenario.
Read more in Daily Maverick: Fact Check — Is it true that load shedding will end in 2024?
In the next two weeks Ramokgopa said he would outline the plan for the work they have done on the grid expansion and accessing funding for the project. The minister has set his eyes on the expansion of the 14,000km of transmission lines in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape. The move would unlock at least 2,335 MW of energy in the short-term. DM
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“Electricity generation is showing signs of ‘improvement’, says Ramokgopa”
Ja boet. It is improving, one privately installed solar system at a time. Repeating this fools lip flappage is undignified for a publication like the Maverick.
Well said Mike. Lip flappage is probably the greatest term I have read when referring to those esteemed comrades in the ANC.
There’s probably about 2GW of private rooftop solar already installed throughout SA and that’s likely to triple by 2026. That will mean Escom will be able to avoid stage 5. Oh, and the municipalities, metros and Escom will not be getting 6GW of income. No doubt the minister will say that the electricity generation is improving.
Yebo
Something is wrong here – 14 000 kms in the EASTERN CAPE?
That is the distance from Cape Town to Cairo AND half-way back!!!
It will take at least 10 years to build!!!
Utterly pointless quoting numbers when we are sitting in Stage 2/3 shedding “until further notice” (which usually means “until we switch back to Stage 4 at short notice”). Actually, it’s utterly pointless quoting numbers at any time, since they are all the fabric of someone’s _futile_ imagination anyway.
Improving from what? According to ESP, last week prior to the Kendal outage, ESKOM produced 24,000MW for about three days. After the outage, it dropped to 21,000MW. Currently sitting at 23,400MW.
Since the start of the year, ESKOM has been unable to generate more than 50% of their claimed total generation capacity, generally in the region of 21,500MW.
ESP states 1129 hours, or 49 days of “loadshedding” in 2024 to date. This is correct because we know when our power is off, and there has been almost continuous loadshedding during the week.
The only positive I can take from ESKOM is that Kendal was shutdown when the contamination of the water was detected, instead of running the generators until they ceased up. Thank you Kendal Power Station Manager.
If only the volume of election propoganda sprouted by our politicians was at the same level as ESKOM’s current electricity output.
Can you pls tell us the cost of diesel for the same period of electricity availability?
Often wonder if DM has become just a dumb mouthpiece of pronounciations. So and so says”….” without checking or comment-poor journalism.
Can do better!!
Was thinking the same. Journalists, it seems, would benefit from understanding basic project management rather just repeating decontextualised statistics that PR people come up with.
“…the country experienced 1,801.25 hours which has since been decreased to 1,217.98 hours.”
Yes, but this has sweet Fanny Adams to do with Eskom. It’s only thanks to the desperate people that installed their own private generation capacity. I am one of them,
Only the headline mentions improvement of electricity generation. Nothing in the body of the article says anything about generation improving, only that he estimates that there was less load shedding in a given period.
Eskom should hire experts to fix the generation fiasco without regard to complexion. Grow up, and get the problem fixed, not patched.
They are running these stations too hard yet again. It’s like they never learn. In their quest to be seen accomplishing something they are going to run the stations left into the ground. All in a desperate bid to hold power for another five years. ANC’s only success this far is failure. They are unbelievably good at this.
Yeah, yeah. And pigs are flying past the window. The entertainment value of quoting these ministers, (including Mbalula here) is negated by the frustration of their lying idiocy. The only likely believers probably don’t even have electricity. They should not be given air, paper or internet space. Most your readers, I suspect, just would like to say “Just shut the *$%”@ up.”
He says the same rubbish every time they interview him. The only way loadshedding will end is when they generate 20% more than is required. They don’t have a chance of getting there.
Hmmm if there’s any improvement ( I cant see it!) then its probably thanks to De Ruyter and his exposure of the massive corruption and rent seeking that was taking place at Eskom. Any news on finding the perpetrators of his poisoning by the way??? I thought not! Bad deeds are left unpunished in South Africa today!