Loadshedding
President Ramaphosa – ‘Difficult’ winter ahead for SA, but risk of national blackout ‘extremely low’
President Cyril Ramaphosa has addressed the nation, acknowledging South Africans’ challenges regarding load shedding during winter. But he reassured the public that the risk of a national blackout is doubtful, as reported by The Citizen.
President Ramaphosa provided updates on various government projects during his budget presentation in the National Assembly. Regarding electricity generation, he emphasised the progress made in implementing measures outlined in the Energy Action Plan, particularly in allowing private sector investment in electricity generation projects of any scale.
Highlighting the significance of private sector investment, Ramaphosa stated that over 100 projects, representing more than 10,000 MW of new generation capacity and over R200 billion of investment, are currently in various stages of development. This exponential growth demonstrates the positive impact of the reform on electricity generation.
Additionally, the government has expedited the procurement of new generation capacity, with three projects from the risk mitigation program already in construction and five projects expected to reach a financial close in the current quarter. Project agreements have been signed with 25 preferred bidders from Bid Window 5 and 6, amounting to approximately 2800 MW, of which 784 MW is already under construction.
Also read: South Africa Prepares for Harsh Winter Power Outages
The government plans to procure over 10,000 MW of additional generation capacity from renewable sources such as wind, solar, gas, and battery storage in the coming months. These efforts aim to address the shortfall in energy supply.
While cautioning South Africans about the anticipated challenges during the winter season, including increased demand and the repair of units at power stations like Medupi, Kusile, and Koeberg, President Ramaphosa assured the public that measures are in place to prevent a national blackout. The return of these units to service later in the year will improve the situation, but until then, reducing demand on the grid remains crucial in mitigating the severity of load shedding.
Responding to recent concerns expressed by political leaders, President Ramaphosa affirmed that load shedding is necessary to maintain grid stability. Despite the escalated load-shedding stages, the power utility, Eskom, has announced that the grid will not collapse, ensuring that essential services and infrastructure will continue functioning.
As the government works towards increasing electricity generation capacity and implementing measures to address the energy shortfall, President Ramaphosa urged all South Africans to play their part in reducing electricity demand, thereby assisting in minimising the impact of load shedding.
Also read:
Picture: Twitter / PresidencyZA
Follow us on Google News.
