ANC plans to curb Eskom blackouts

The governing African National Congress (ANC) has announced a slew of interventions which it says if well executed will see load shedding as a thing of the past for the country. The measures will see an additional 4500 megawatts connected to the grid in the coming six months.

The plan will ensure that R30 billion is available for the procurement of diesel for the Open Cycle Gas Turbine and improve energy availability factor through efficiency of power stations.

The party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) met to discuss and adopt the interventions produced by the Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.

The ANC says it’s all hands on deck to ensure the country and the economy is spared from further rolling blackouts.

Action plan

Since taking office about two months ago the Electricity Minister has been on a fact-finding mission at the country’s power stations. This has culminated in a detailed short to long term plan of action to address South Africa’s energy crisis, this plan was taken to the ANC national Executive Committee that is meeting this weekend.

He has proposed a six month winter plan that includes fixing open cycle gas turbines, ramped procurement of diesel and addressing the load capacity factor.

ANC NEC member and electricity minister, Ramokgopa says, “What we know about the diesel situation is that in the 18,5 tariff increase that Nersa has granted to Eskom, Eskom is building R8 billion to procure diesel and we know that in terms of the fiscal relief that the Minister of Finance has provided to Eskom, there is an additional R22 billion that Eskom has made available for the procurement of electricity. So we have, as I speak to you, confirmed about R30’billion that is available for diesel procurement.”

There is also six to 18 months plan that will see units from some of the utility’s power plants coming back online and power stations rehabilitated.

Ramokgopa continues “First is that the Kusile unit 1 to 3 that had failed as a result of a fluid gas disulfaration challenge, we moved around 1200 MW but we know that in terms of our timelines three of the units are gonna come on stream late this year. The last of the three units is going to come on stream by the 24th of December. The first one will come on in November. So we know now that by Christmas Eve we will have an additional 2100 MW from Kusile, another unit that was not fired will come in February next year, another 700 MW that will be stored there at Kusile.”

The plan is to see 4500 MW saved in six months. A generator has also been procured from the Netherlands to help revive Medupi. They also want to get an additional 1000 Megawatts from Mozambique, once agreements are signed.

Reported rift

The party has also dismissed alleged reports of a rift between the three ministers in the energy cluster on efforts to address the energy issue.

ANC NEC member, Mmamoloko Kubayi says, “There is an assumption that there is a fight, there isn’t a fight and the issue of roles and responsibilities are dedicated by the president. From a policy point of view as the ANC we are saying we want to see the end of load shedding. But I understand the president will be doing some of those proclamations on how government separates the powers and maybe that could have been the gap that led to perceptions. Comrade Sputla has been working with comrade Mantashe and Comrade PG Pravin in ensuring there is synchrony interns of work.”

ANC NEC media briefing on items topping agenda at its meeting including SA’s energy crisis:

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Impact of load shedding

Meanwhile, the ANC NEC is worried about the impact of load shedding on crime fighting efforts, on the health sector and the ability for the economy to grow and create jobs.

“Your operations that need to be done where there is a need to have electricity, those costs in our health sector, those in the building environment. The cost of buying building material is high, in education the impact on learners to be able to do their school work, the cost of doing business are high and this has an impact on our ability to recover the economy and create jobs,” adds Kubayi.

ANC NEC briefing on the electricity crisis:

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