South Africa Moves Beyond Structural Load-Shedding, Says Energy Minister
Eskom’s Winter Plan Remains on Track Despite Recent Power Cuts
Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that South Africa has progressed beyond structural load-shedding, expressing confidence in Eskom’s winter outlook despite the recent implementation of stage 2 power cuts.
Recent Load-Shedding Measures
Eskom implemented stage 2 load-shedding from 4pm to 10pm on Tuesday and Wednesday this week to manage limited generation capacity during peak hours. The power utility stated these measures were necessary to maintain electricity supply during working hours.
Improved Generation Capacity
Ramokgopa emphasized that South Africa is entering winter with stronger generation capacity compared to previous years. Key developments include:
- Koeberg Unit 2 returning to the grid on December 30 after extensive maintenance
- Koeberg Unit 1 currently undergoing required maintenance, expected back by July
- Kusile Unit 6 adding 800MW to the grid since March 26
Challenges and Delays
Despite these improvements, the minister acknowledged ongoing challenges with “outage slips” – units failing to return to service as scheduled. This has created a 3,100MW shortfall, attributed to delays from third-party contractors and original equipment manufacturers.
Eskom’s Winter Outlook
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane confirmed the winter plan remains valid, noting improved performance has reduced unplanned losses to 13,000MW. However, maintenance delays have temporarily impacted operations, with teams focusing on returning six key units at Duvha, Hendrina, Kriel, Medupi and Tutuka to service.
Marokane stated: “We’re already below 5,000MW in planned maintenance but aren’t seeing the full benefits yet due to these delays. We expect to see improvement as we address these issues.”
Source: TimesLIVE