The minister of electricity, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa is confident that Eskom is making a turn as significant improvements show face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Briefing the media this Sunday (2 July), Ramokgopa highlighted the steady increase in available electricity capacity coming out of Eskom however noted that there needs to be more focus on transmission lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He said that available capacity is now beginning to plateau at 29,000MW, just since the 26th of June as the power utility has made ‘marginal but significant’ improvements of around 1,300MW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“What is encouraging for me is that we are beginning to maintain that previously the oscillation (between sufficient power and none) was too extreme now it is steady.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister added that improvements in generation have made an additional buffer allowing for more planned maintenance to take place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
He further dispelled opinions that a decrease in load shedding was due to a lack of planned maintenance, stating that the company still subscribes to a philosophy of accurate and frequent maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eskom seems to have dodged its worst-case scenario for winter. Prior to the colder months, analysts, researchers, politicians, and Eskom itself foresaw higher stages of load shedding, some even reaching Stage 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Demand was expected to reach between 35,000MW and 37,000MW; however, it has registered closer to 32,000MW. Additional benefits in favour of lower load shedding include increased wind energy generation due to stormy weather, higher electricity tariffs, curbing industry use, changes in management and a boost in morale at the state-owned company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Improved generation capacity was also cited to be a result of demand-side reduction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The minister applauded consumers, municipal electricity distribution companies as well as businesses for reducing their demand – alleviating stress on the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Grid improvement<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Despite positive talk of improvements at Eskom, the minister said that it is important for more focus to be given to the transmission of electricity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He said that Eskom has plans to implement a transmission development plan, with more information to be given in the future. Ramokgopa said that there are, however, issues on the financing side of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Eskom’s Debt Relief Bill is currently sitting in front of President Cyril Ramaphosa, awaiting his signature. The bill strategies the writing off of Eskom’s debt, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As part of the conditions given by the National Treasury in its plan to write off debt, the company is not allowed to borrow money. The minister said that Eskom has to come up with innovative ways to bypass and fix this problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Regarding grid development, the minister proposed a three-stage process whereby:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ramokgopa said that the biggest risk of a possible grid collapse is not on the generation side but on the transmission side. It is the single point of failure, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Professor Sampson Mamphweli, the head of the energy secretariat at the National Energy Development Institute, explained that as it stands, the country has enough grid capacity for original coal power stations but not newly onboarding renewables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mamphweli said that grid capacity is like a water pipeline that can carry a certain amount of water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf you try to push more water than it can carry, it essentially bursts,\u201d he said<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is for these reasons the country needs to strengthen its grid capacity, said Ramokgopa .<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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