Power supply: ‘Short-term pain for long-term gain’ says electricity minister
Ramokgopa says that the planned maintenance roll-out would lead to intensified load shedding in the short term, but is essential for the long-term stability of the nation’s electricity grid.
In a recent statement, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa recognised the tough road ahead for South Africa’s power supply.
He stressed that although planned maintenance would cause more frequent power outages in the near future, it was crucial for the long-term reliability of the country’s electrical system.
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Amidst ongoing Stage 6 power cuts expected to continue all week, the minister firmly stated that there were no quick solutions to halt load shedding, according to Daily Maverick.
He made this statement while briefing the media following Eskom’s escalation of power cuts due to recent pressure on the national grid.
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POWER SUPPLY:”SHORT-TERM PAIN FOR LONG-TERM GAIN”
Ramokgopa explained that Eskom had embarked on an increased schedule of planned maintenance to enhance the grid’s resilience.
With an increase in planned maintenance over the coming months, intense load shedding will be a ‘short-term pain’ but there will be ‘long-term gain’, says Ramokgopa.
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During the winter, demand for electri had surged, leading to a decrease in planned maintenance and subsequently weakening generating capacity.
NEGLECT LED TO THE CURRENT ENERGY CRISIS
He admitted that neglecting planned maintenance over the years had contributed to this situation.
He declared, “We are committed to planned maintenance and adhering to maintenance philosophy, even if it means temporary, intensified load shedding. We cannot ignore the consequences of compromised maintenance investment.”
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Ramokgopa signaled that Eskom’s financial situation suffered greatly, but an injection of funds from the National Treasury offered financial maneuverability. This extra funding enabled Eskom to allocate significant resources toward maintenance efforts.
Electricity Minister Ramokgopa:
— Izwe Lethu (@LandNoli) September 6, 2023
We’re on Stage 6 because we didn’t do planned maintenance because of little funds
National Treasury gave R254bn on condition that Eskom does maintenance
Our anticipated worst-case scenario was that if our failing units reached over 18GW & peak… pic.twitter.com/4M5Acu0mno
Eskom’s head of generation, Bheki Nxumalo, cautioned that Stage 6 load shedding was likely to persist for the week but would gradually ease as some units returned to service toward the weekend.