“Let’s help you, Eskom,” he said. “Eskom apparently needs 1,000 megawatts to keep the lights on. Let’s create 11,000 megawatts within the next five months, which will keep the lights on in 2023 and is 11 times more than what you need.”
According to McKenzie, the Central Karoo was the most suitable place to be used to create renewable energy.
“We have sun during the day, wind at night, vast tracts of land and evacuation capacity. You cannot find a better place anywhere in SA.”
He said all red tapes need to be relaxed or cut out, government must declare a state of energy emergency and ban unions.
To achieve a turnaround in the electricity crisis, McKenzie suggested government should invite 110 solar companies to immediately construct a 100-megawatt plant.
“You will have thousands of up-takers. Let them start immediately, you can even use state money and start a state renewable company but I wouldn’t advise that, let the private sector do it,” he said.
'I can do it in five months, send me': McKenzie asks Eskom to let him help with energy crisis
Image: Eugene Coetzee/The Herald
Patriotic Alliance president and Central Karoo mayor Gayton McKenzie says he can help solve the country’s ailing electricity crisis if Eskom allows him to assist.
In a plea to the power utility, McKenzie shared his ideas on how Eskom could solve the crisis and put an end to load-shedding.
“Let’s help you, Eskom,” he said. “Eskom apparently needs 1,000 megawatts to keep the lights on. Let’s create 11,000 megawatts within the next five months, which will keep the lights on in 2023 and is 11 times more than what you need.”
According to McKenzie, the Central Karoo was the most suitable place to be used to create renewable energy.
“We have sun during the day, wind at night, vast tracts of land and evacuation capacity. You cannot find a better place anywhere in SA.”
He said all red tapes need to be relaxed or cut out, government must declare a state of energy emergency and ban unions.
To achieve a turnaround in the electricity crisis, McKenzie suggested government should invite 110 solar companies to immediately construct a 100-megawatt plant.
“You will have thousands of up-takers. Let them start immediately, you can even use state money and start a state renewable company but I wouldn’t advise that, let the private sector do it,” he said.
‘Load-shedding is here until we have 4,000 to 6,000MW of capacity’, says Eskom spokesperson
McKenzie said the results would be 11 times more energy than what is needed and the lights will be on in 2023.
“We just need political will and decisiveness from the government. I can lead this and have it all done in five months, send me,” said McKenzie.
Eskom told Bloomberg the power utility aims to buy about 1,000 megawatts of electricity from companies with spare generation capacity, privately-owned plants and neighbouring countries starting from this week.
It said additional maintenance will be funded through cost savings and cash from operations.
The utility has spent R7.7bn this year on diesel to use at times of peak demand and has approached the World Bank to borrow around the same amount to finance additional renewable generation capacity units and batteries.
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