By Phenyo Selinda
Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has announced that South Africa’s power grid is expected to receive a significant boost, with an additional 2,500MW anticipated by the end of August. Speaking during a media briefing in Pretoria on Monday morning, Dr Ramokgopa outlined the government’s plans to strengthen the grid through the return of generating units at key power stations.
“We are expecting Medupi Unit 4 to give us 800MW and to fire up Kusile Unit 6, which is another 800MW. We are hoping to get an extension of life of Koeberg Unit 2… We are not complacent. We are doing everything by the book and we are still optimistic about getting that extension of life, and it will give us an additional 980MW,” said Dr Ramokgopa.
This strategic plan is part of the government’s ongoing efforts to address the country’s energy challenges and ensure a more stable and reliable power supply. The Minister was clear in his optimism, but he also issued a cautionary note regarding the ongoing issue of load shedding.
Cautious Optimism Amid Power Challenges
Dr Ramokgopa emphasised that while there are positive developments, the challenges posed by load shedding are not yet behind the nation. “I really want to caution that load shedding is not behind us. In the next three weeks or so Eskom will be sharing what the summer outlook is. We are still buoyant about the performance of these generation plants,” he said.
The Minister’s caution underscores the complexities of the current energy situation in South Africa. Despite the expected boost in power generation, Dr Ramokgopa advised against declaring an end to load shedding prematurely, noting that the situation remains fluid and dependent on several factors.
“Having said that, we need to caution against any early declaration to decree load shedding as behind us. We do everything possible to resolve this question, but the numbers do indicate that we are within touching distance,” he added.
Focus on Key Power Stations
During his briefing, Dr Ramokgopa highlighted the significant improvements made at several critical power stations, including Tutuka, Kendal, and Kriel. These stations have been pivotal in the government’s efforts to stabilise the power grid.
“At Tutuka, we have seen results now. From March to August, the unplanned capacity loss factor [UCLF] has reduced by 29%. That’s significant from where Tutuka started; they’ve moved from 2 411MW to 949MW,” Dr Ramokgopa noted.
Similarly, Kendal Power Station has also seen improvements, particularly concerning its emissions standards. “Today, we were able to reduce the [UCLF] from 2 500MW out, and now we’re sitting at about 919MW,” he said.
Kriel Power Station has also shown remarkable progress, with the UCLF reduction dropping by 53% from 1 400MW to about 508MW. These improvements are attributed to changes in leadership and the placement of experienced, dedicated individuals at the helm of these power stations.
“The people issues do matter, and the Eskom leadership has taken that into account. The fact that you place the most seasoned, loyal, and patriotic individuals to be at the helm of those power stations has given us the kind of results that are required,” Dr Ramokgopa explained.
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