Eskom Justifies Power Station Shutdown Delays to S.A’s Climate Commission

Eskom has reassured the South African Presidential Climate Commission that delaying the shutdown of several power stations is necessary. CEO, Dan Marokane told the commission that postponing the decommissioning of Camden, Hendrina, and Grootvlei coal-fired stations until 2030 will cost the utility between 85 and 90 billion rand. Despite the substantial costs, Marokane insists the delays are essential to maintain energy supply.

June 10, 2024 6

South Africa

Power cuts have hit South Africa’s labour market hard: the biggest toll has been on jobs – new research

By Haroon Bhorat, University of Cape Town and Timothy Köhler Access to electricity – measured by the share of individuals who use electricity as their main energy source – has significantly improved in lower-income countries in recent decades. Thanks to large-scale rural electrification and infrastructure development programmes, 90% of the population in these countries had access by 2021, up from about 74% at the turn […]

May 30, 2024 23

South Africa

S.A President Ramaphosa Extends Deployment of Military at Eskom

S.A's President, Cyril Ramaphosa has extended the deployment of the South African National Defence Force personnel at Eskom. The president deployed 746 soldiers to Eskom’s power stations in December 2022. This was to help police protect power stations where sabotage, theft, and other crimes may threaten the functioning of stations and the supply of electricity. The estimated cost is about 203.9-million-rand. Meanwhile, Ramaphosa has also extended the deployment of two-thousand-300 […]

May 22, 2024 9

South Africa

City of Cape Town says Eskom has abruptly ended talks on transferring its supply areas

The City of Cape Town says Eskom has abruptly ended talks on transferring its supply areas, despite advanced preparations. Despite previous progress and preparations, Eskom's executive has opted against the transfer, citing operational needs. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis has vowed to continue pursuing the transfer for more reliable and affordable electricity services. He says discussions with Eskom will persist as the city pushes for further assessments:

May 14, 2024 25

South Africa

Eskom says the generation fleet is gradually becoming more reliable

Eskom says the generation fleet is gradually becoming more reliable, resulting in load-shedding being suspended. Today marks the 47th consecutive day with no blackouts. The power utility’s spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says the suspension of load-shedding is primarily due to the continued, sustained improvement in generation performance. She says this is owing to extensive planned maintenance during the summer period and the implementation of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan in March: […]

May 13, 2024 24

South Africa

Julius Malema Accuses ANC of Vote Buying Through Load-Shedding Suspension

Julius Malema, the President of the EFF, spoke at a gathering in De Aar, Northern Cape, alleging that the ANC government is engaging in vote-buying tactics by halting load-shedding during the election period. Malema highlighted that Eskom has not enforced load-shedding for 46 consecutive days. He emphasized the EFF's goal of ensuring electricity access for all households, pointing out that Eskom has the capacity to achieve this as it supplies […]

May 13, 2024 18

South Africa

Eskom Sues City Power for Over One Billion Rand Debt

Eskom is heading to the High Court in Johannesburg, escalating a dispute over a debt exceeding one billion rand owed by City Power. Unpaid invoices stretching back to October last year have compelled Eskom to pursue legal action for a declaratory order. City Power, on the other hand, challenges possible overbilling claims dating back to 2021. With the court date set for June 4th, Eskom's spokesperson, Amanda Qithi, warns that […]

May 7, 2024 9

South Africa

Eskom says load-shedding will remain suspended, with today marking the 40th consecutive day without blackouts

Eskom says load-shedding will remain suspended, with today marking the 40th consecutive day without blackouts. This is due to significant improvements in curbing unplanned outages and the reliability of the generation fleet. A total of two-thousand-600 megawatts is expected to be returned to service by today. The power utility's spokesperson, Daphne Mokwena, says the energy availability factor has been above 60-percent since the 29th of last month and reached the […]

May 6, 2024 5

South Africa

South Africa’s D.A has raised alarm over Eskom’s massive diesel consumption

South Africa's D.A has raised alarm over Eskom's massive diesel consumption, surpassing the annual budget of the National Student Financial Aid Scheme. National spokesperson for Public Enterprises, Mimmy Gondwe, points to minister Pravin Gordhan's revelation that Eskom spent 65-billion rand on diesel over five-years for its open cycle gas turbines. She criticises the unsustainable levels of diesel usage, attributing it to consumers facing double-digit tariff increases by the National Energy […]

April 26, 2024 21

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