Government has vowed to increase its electricity generation capacity in order to grow the economy and attract investment. This as the country recovers from months of limited economic activity due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In his weekly letter, President Cyril Ramaphosa says they have now gazetted ministerial determinations that will facilitate the development of more than 11 800 megawatts of additional power generation.
After months of load shedding that negatively affected economy, an extra over 11 000 megawatts will soon be added onto the national grid to overcome the country’s power problem.
From The Desk of the President – Monday, 28 September 2020 –
https://t.co/XZT3kpjRox Every South African knows how important electricity is in our lives. When it is available no one thinks about it. pic.twitter.com/4xgdZxYAeq— Presidency | South Africa ?? (@PresidencyZA) September 28, 2020
President Ramaphosa says this is one of the key reforms needed to unlock growth and attract investment. He says the new energy will be sourced from solar, wind, gas and coal among others.
To avoid corruption, the President said this electricity will be procured through a transparent tendering process that prioritises competitiveness and cost-effectiveness.
Ramaphosa also said as part of the regulatory reforms, draft amendments to regulations that would enable municipalities in good standing to procure their own power from independent power producers will soon be gazetted.
The video below talks about Eskom’s power supply constraints:
