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<\/a><\/p>\nThe government has said it will look to private investors to help fund new plants and step up purchases of renewable energy from independent producers, which have added 3,876 megawatts of capacity to the national grid since 2011.<\/p>\n
However, those plans are being implemented too slowly and on an insufficient scale, according to Jesse Burton, a researcher at the University of Cape Town\u2019s Energy Research Centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s this inaction by the state,\u201d Burton said by phone. \u201cWe should be procuring immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n
President Cyril Ramaphosa in February announced plans to split Eskom into generation, transmission and distribution units — a move that should make it easier for private power producers to access the grid and sell their output.<\/p>\n
But powerful labor unions have vowed to prevent a break-up, fearing it will lead to job losses and privatisation. With elections due next month, the government has been loath to confront them head-on.<\/p>\n
Eskom has said its immediate focus will be to keep blackouts to a minimum by addressing maintenance backlogs, securing enough diesel to run turbines used at times of peak-power demand and fixing defects at its new units.<\/p>\n
Beyond that, the nation\u2019s energy blueprint, the Integrated Resource Plan, will spell out how future generation requirements will be met, according to Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan, who oversees Eskom. While the plan has been years in the making, it\u2019s yet to be completed.<\/p>\n
The document was significantly revised after the government determined that proposals favoured by former President Jacob Zuma to build nuclear plants weren\u2019t affordable. The latest draft envisions the nation\u2019s total installed power capacity rising about 60 percent to 78,344 megawatts by 2030, with the bulk of the new supply coming from gas, solar power and wind.<\/p>\n
Engie SA, which operates the 100-megawatt Kathu concentrated solar power project 600 kilometres (373 miles) southwest of Pretoria and feeds into the grid, is among power companies that are awaiting the finalisation of the IRP and the issuing of new power supply tenders.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were surprised that the program of development keeps delaying,\u201d Paulo Almirante, the company\u2019s chief operating officer, said in an interview at the plant. \u201cSometimes it\u2019s a bit frustrating, the delays, but we are confident that after the elections this will be clarified and that the sector will continue to develop.\u201d<\/p>\n
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