Stage 6 triggered by diesel supply challenges but power is coming on-stream: Ramokgopa

Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa told parliament that South Africa’s recent spate of stage 6 load-shedding occurred as a result of diesel supply constraints, but that the utility is preparing to bring 3,200MW of power on stream in the next three months. 

“What we are seeing today and what you will be seeing is not an accident. It’s a function of the work we have been doing and much later, I am going to show you that we are bringing on stream an additional 3,200MW.

“In the next three months we will be able to resolve the challenge of load-shedding,” said Ramokgopa replying to questions from MPs in the National Assembly on Wednesday.

His remarks come at the end of a difficult month for South Africans as levels of load-shedding reached stage 6. 

The minister was asked by ANC MP Mikateko Mahlaule if the implementation of stage 6 load-shedding earlier this month was an attempt to reduce diesel expenditure and why Eskom has not used diesel to run pump storage and open cycle gas turbines to counterbalance offline units. 

The minister said when demand exceeds generation, the system operator must ensure that emergency power from pump storage and open cycle gas turbines are deployed to reduce the difference between demand and generation. He said stage 6 was not due to depletion of financial resources. 

“Eskom has received fiscal support of R254bn to ensure that we address the liquidity challenges at Eskom and to ensure that we are able to exert a lot of effort on the maintenance side. As part of that R254bn fiscal relief, R22bn has been ring-fenced for securing diesel,” Ramokgopa said. 

Ramokgopa said another R8bn was allowed through the Nersa tariff approval, giving the entity R30bn to procure diesel. He said the supply side of the value chain for diesel experienced challenges as Eskom worked to triple maintenance at power stations in the winter months. 

In his supplementary question, Mahlaule asked Ramokgopa how the presidency and Eskom were addressing the cost of diesel, noting that the price tag of an estimated R30bn for diesel sounded steep. 

“It’s an inexplicable amount of money to be used on diesel. But that number must be understood relative to the risks associated with not burning diesel.

“So, what do we know about not burning diesel? We know stage 6 load-shedding can cost the country up to R1bn a day. Stage 6 load-shedding for 2022 resulted in over 620,000 people losing jobs and the projections are that those numbers could go upward of 830,000,” Ramokgopa replied. 

Ramokgopa added that fleet performance will be prioritised to return another 4,000MW to the system and avoid burdening emergency power reserves.

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