Eskom will renegotiate its diesel budget with the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) as it needs more money to burn fuel to accommodate the electricity minister\u2019s winter plan and the exemptions ordered by the nation\u2019s High Court, reported Bloomberg.<\/p>\n
On Friday (5 May), the Pretoria high court ruled in favour of 19 interest groups who sought urgent relief for specific sectors to be spared from load-shedding.<\/p>\n
According to court papers brought before the court, load-shedding was against South Africans\u2019 constitutional rights. The judge ordered the minister of public enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, to ensure that Eskom provides alternative sources of electricity to these institutions.<\/p>\n
Institutions in question included police stations, hospitals, schools and clinics.<\/p>\n
Eskom\u2019s interim spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, said the utility was studying the judgment and had plans to challenge it but added that there were also plans to \u201crenegotiate the diesel plan with the treasury and Nersa to ensure the utility can cover for the shortfalls that will be experienced,\u201d reported<\/a> the Mail & Guardian.<\/p>\n \u201cThe utility is also working on the winter plan and is awaiting confirmation from Nersa to enable us to increase the diesel price from R8\u2009billion to at least R30\u2009billion<\/strong> in accordance with the minister of electricity\u2019s plan,\u201d Eskom said.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was R8\u2009billion dedicated to purchasing diesel, and out of the R254\u2009billion relief funds for Eskom, R22\u2009billion would be directed to buy diesel,\u201d said electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.<\/p>\n Eskom uses diesel to power open-cycle gas turbines ( OCGTs) when outages and breakdowns occur at its coal-fired plants. The OCGTs make up for a shortfall in generation capacity and help the power utility to prevent the need for higher stages of power cuts.<\/p>\n