R390bn required over next decade to meet grid demand - Ramokgopa

The minister says this is largely due to the increase in generation capacity through renewable energy projects.

Ramokgopa addressed MPs in the Parliament on Tuesday on the government’s implementation of the Energy Action Plan.

"Whereas our immediate focus has been on short-term efforts to reduce the intensity and regularity of load shedding, we have not been oblivious to the longer-term policy directives and infrastructure investment funding decisions required to grow and modernise our transmission infrastructure,” Ramokgopa said.

"It is estimated that more than R390 billion will be required over the next decade to meet the demand for grid capacity, largely due to the increase in generation capacity through renewable energy projects following the various Bid Windows."

Ramokgopa said the government, together with business and labour, have partnered with the Energy Council to strengthen the OCGT diesel supply chain logistics planning and efficiency and optimising load factors at peaking stations of Ankerlig and Gourikwa.  

"Overseeing and supporting the Eskom team with the Kusile duct recovery and power station support; and the deployment of support teams to priority Power Stations namely; Matla, Kriel, Majuba, Kusile, Kendal, and Tutuka."

Ramokgopa energy plan was rejected by the DA's Samantha Graham, who said load shedding continues despite the introduction of the plan being more than a year ago.

"It is clear that despite the Energy Action Plan having identified a number of key priorities for the short, medium and long term, government has continued to suffer from myopia, coupled with inertia."

EFF MP Busisiwe Mkhwebane said load shedding will not come to an end while the ANC is in charge of the government.

"Over the last five years, the ANC president assured the people of South Africa that load shedding will be a thing of the past and things go worse instead, this year the ANC Secretary-general said load shedding will end before December 2023, there are no scientific, engineering demonstration, signs and evidence that load shedding will end under this government.

"Despite many assurances given by the Minister who does not have a committee to report to in parliament, load shedding will remain and get worse as long as the ANC is still in power."

IFP chief whip Mkhuleko Hlengwa fingered the leadership issues at Eskom as part of the problem.

"Eskom is in trouble, Eskom is operating on the basis of bailouts, and there is policy, leadership uncertainty,  leadership interference going on at Eskom. The CEO left, his vacancy was not filled, the board chairperson has resigned, the operations of Eskom are dependent on the functionality of other SOEs such as Transnet, and there are problems there as well."

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