Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says load shedding will continue throughout the festive season as Eskom struggles to improve generating capacity.
Ramokgopa was speaking during an oversight visit to Medupi and Matimba power stations in Lephalale, Limpopo.
Ramokgopa says due to breakdowns of units at several power plants, the power utility will struggle to keep the lights on during the festive season.
Two of the biggest power stations, Medupi and Matimba, located in Lephalale have been troubled by design defects and breakdowns.
Medupi was taken offline for repairs following an explosion that caused long-term outages. Unit four at Medupi which blew up in November last year, is still under repairs.
“We are going to ramp up units to seven thousand megawatts but we are retaining a lot of these units so we see a situation of a festive season of extremely low levels of load shedding and there will be days where there is no load shedding but I think what is important is for us to prepare for a situation where the demand is intensified, that’s why we are working very hard. As we go and retain these units they become more reliable and we are working on another generation capacity.”
📸: Engagement with Employees at the Eskom Medupi Power Station, Lephalale- Limpopo pic.twitter.com/8lEG9BcAk0
— Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa (@Kgosientsho_R) November 23, 2023
Ramokgopa says the breakdown at Medupi has resulted in stage four load shedding across the country.
“Medupi is important in increasing generation capacity, one of the reasons we experience stage four load-shedding is a breakdown and you know this is one of the important figures designed to give us 100 megawatts. So, if as a result of the failure we had to exhaust our energy reserves, but the last of them came back yesterday.”
New CEO
Ramokgopa also says Eskom will have a new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by the end of this year. The power utility has been without a CEO following the resignation of Andre de Ruyter in February.
“The Minister of DPE who is the shareholder is on record saying that the appointment will come before the end of the year and also the board has complied with the memorandum of incorporation to give the minister three names then we will bring the names to the cabinet then cabinet will give the approved name and I am confident that we will appoint.”
Ramokgopa, however, says they are confident that they will end load shedding but he would not commit to deadlines.
