Eskom ‘working really hard’ to avoid ramping up blackouts over festive season, but no guarantees: Ramokgopa

10 Dec 2023

Electricity Minister Kgosientso Ramokgopa said on Sunday that Eskom is doing the best it can to avert the intensification of load shedding during the festive season without compromising the performance of the grid.

In his weekly Sunday update on developments in transmission financing and implementation of the Energy Action Plan, the Electricity Minister welcomed the recent appointment of Eskom's new CEO, Dan Marokane, after an almost yearlong search following the departure of André de Ruyter.

Read more in Daily Maverick: Dan Marokane set to be appointed as new Eskom CEO

The appointment – announced by Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan on Friday – would, according to Ramokgopa, bring about much-needed stability and was key to resolving the ongoing energy crisis.

“We are looking forward to Mr Marokane’s contribution together with the totality of the executive committee of Eskom. We do welcome the fact that at the apex office at Eskom now we do have an appointment for the next five years, which is most welcome for the work that we are doing. Certainty is key to the resolution of a crisis of this magnitude,” Ramokgopa said.

Marokane previously served as Eskom’s head of group capital and is currently CEO of troubled sugar producer Tongaat Hulett. Ramokgopa said he was confident that he would hit the ground running, having cut his teeth at the power utility and subsequently occupying several positions.

“The learning curve is very steep, but for someone who has been in the trenches, familiarity is going to help, ” he said.

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The minister said Eskom’s pump storage facilities were generally in good health, hence the low stages of load shedding. “And that is why Eskom was able to announce some degree of reprieve, and we really think that if we are to keep to this, we shouldn’t be seeing any significant deterioration. We shouldn’t be seeing an intensification of load shedding. We are working really hard, I must say.

“And this has been the case to ensure that our experience of all South Africans during the festive season is really a pleasurable one, but we’re doing everything possible to ensure that we achieve that without necessarily compromising the grid.”

There could be some failure that is not anticipated, resulting in the revision of the projection of the schedules.

The sentiments came hours after the utility’s announcement that due to improved generation capacity, availability and adequate emergency reserves, load shedding would be suspended until midday on Saturday, when Stage 2 would kick in.

Explaining the rationale behind continued load shedding despite improved generation capacity, Ramokgopa said it was for planned maintenance purposes.

Although the utility would endeavour to ensure there was minimal load shedding, he could not guarantee this owing to unforeseen circumstances.

“There could be some failure that is not anticipated, resulting in the revision of the projection of the schedules. That is something that is inherent in any engineering unit. So, we will try everything possible to ensure that we avert that and if there is anything untoward we will communicate,” he said.

Ramokgopa also announced that the draft Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) 2023 would be gazetted for public comment soon by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe.

“The IPR is the government’s policy articulation in relation to the various sources of energy, if you like – the energy mix. It tries to first project what the future demand is, and then it responds by saying, ‘these are the fuel sources that are going to support that demand’.”

The IRP was important for many reasons, including that “in the context of the energy crisis there are interventions that will help us in the short term to ensure that we are able to ameliorate the degree of the energy deficit that we are experiencing now”.

The minister would not go into detail about the IRP, but urged South Africans to read and engage with the Government Gazette.

“I really do urge communities, stakeholders and all interest groups to take a keen interest, because really we are determining our energy future, so it’s important that you are able to make those contributions and you are able to help in the formulation of the IRP 2023 because this will underpin our responses in relation to how we are going to address the energy situation in the country.” DM

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