The risk of a total power blackout in South Africa at any point in future is \u201cout of the question\u201d, acting Eskom CEO Brian Molefe said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe prospect of a blackout is virtually non-existent,\u201d he told reporters in Johannesburg during a briefing on the state of the power system.<\/p>\n
He gave this assurance despite conceding that power plants were \u201cageing and volatile\u201d, that cold weather had increased demand, and that maintenance would put strain on an already strained system.<\/p>\n
Planned maintenance would take 5 500 MW out of the system this winter, more than three times the amount of previous winters.<\/p>\n
There would be load shedding \u201chere and there\u201d, but efforts would be made to keep it to a minimum.<\/p>\n
\u201cGeneration performance has been better than expected in the first half of the year. I think we have outdone ourselves,\u201d Molefe said.<\/p>\n
Asked whether there was not a contradiction between efforts to keep the lights on and doing maintenance, Molefe said there was a need to find the \u201csweet spot\u201d between the two.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a sweet spot somewhere in the middle, there\u2019s a give and take between the two objectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will as far as possible avoid load shedding during weekdays [during business hours] to minimise the impact on the economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Eskom was spending about R1.5bn a month on diesel to power its open cycle gas turbines. Included in its request to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa for a 24.7% electricity tariff increase was the need for R10.9bn to buy diesel for the gas turbines.<\/p>\n
Molefe said the power cuts in the week starting June 8 were caused by an increase in demand, more unplanned breakdowns, and the loss of 800MW from a solar generation plant in the Northern Cape due to cloud cover.<\/p>\n
Beware colder winter in 2015: Eskom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n Wear warm clothes this winter: Eskom<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n No planned winter load shedding: Eskom CEO<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n