Pretoria – Minister in the Presidency for Electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has disclosed the government’s keen initiative to accelerate the extension of electricity transmission lines to the Cape provinces. This strategic development aims to liberate a considerable 2335 megawatts (MW) of power that could provide much-needed relief to the country’s strained power grid.
“The urgent expansion of the transmission network is indicative of our commitment to addressing the electricity supply shortfall,” said Ramokgopa during a pivotal dialogue with business leaders in KwaZulu-Natal on Tuesday.
Dr Ramokgopa elaborated on the presence of renewable energy projects that, despite their operational status, remain underutilised due to inadequate transmission infrastructure. “In the short-term, we can unlock about 2300MW of stranded electrons. Decisive steps are being taken to achieve this, and I, as the Minister, will be announcing the specific plans soon,” he remarked.
Highlighting the government’s targeted intervention, Ramokgopa mentioned, “We already know the corridors where we are going to get this 2335MW. It’s in Upington, the Juno Gromis 400kV line and the Nama transformer in Upington. Once these projects are set in motion, we’re looking at an additional 2300MW that can be integrated swiftly into our energy system.”
The minister underscored the necessity of crafting tailor-made financing solutions to resolve transmission issues and further confirmed that around 14000km of new transmission lines would be erected in the longer term, incorporating renewable energy sources and solidifying the national grid.
Additionally, Ramokgopa addressed demand-side measures, stating that the interest in rooftop solar installations has surged, partly due to tax breaks and financial incentives offered by the government. “Our current rooftop solar capacity has seen a dramatic increase, from approximately 983MW in 2022 to an impressive 4412MW by mid-2023,” he said.
He acknowledged two primary challenges in the widespread adoption of rooftop solar: the availability of solar panels and the requisite skills for installation. “We are in talks with leading manufacturers to establish local production, and as for human capacity, we are focused on training about 25,000 individuals for installation jobs. We see a silver lining in the energy crisis – an opportunity to industrialize and create new employment avenues,” Ramokgopa added, addressing the country’s dual challenge of energy scarcity and unemployment.
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