Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has warned of worsening load shedding over winter if Eskom’s grid remains constrained.
Eskom is currently implementing Stage 6 rolling blackouts.
Speaking on the sidelines of the fifth SA Investment Conference in Johannesburg at the Sandton Convention Centre, Ramokgopa says the open cycle gas turbines that consume vast amounts of diesel are essential to proving emergency electricity generating relief.
However, the Electricity Minister says Eskom still has an obligation to invest in coal quality production because its power stations are currently fuelled by coal.
“It doesn’t look good at all. We did caution we are going to confront this as we move into the winter period. What is significant is the focus to present to the South African public an implementation plan to get out of the high Stage 6 in the next two weeks. We have put together a winter plan and there are areas that require improvement. That winter plan will be presented on Sunday evening. So, we’re confident we will come back to the South Africans understanding the impatience anger and frustration but we will present that plan ensuring that we avert higher stages of load shedding.”
