Ramokgopa can't predict 2024 load-shedding outlook as Eskom system remains unreliable

Electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has conceded he can't predict the load-shedding outlook this year due to Eskom's unreliable generating fleet. 

He said as they turned the page to 2024, some units went out and led to load-shedding at the start of the year. He said the system is going through a period of recovery.

On Tuesday Ramokgopa provided an update on the country’s energy action plan and generation performance for the week of December 22 to 29 last year. 

This as the country recently experienced low stages of load-shedding as a result of improved generation.

“We are experiencing a period of no load-shedding. We will have days of no load-shedding and there will be days of load-shedding,” he said. 

He said the system remains unreliable and they were working on units.

“I can't say to the country there will not be load-shedding going into the future. That is why when the alert goes out, it says load-shedding [suspended] until further notice because we have no control on some units. They are extremely unreliable.”

He thanked the Eskom team for keeping the lights on during the festive season and for ramping up maintenance to ensure that when demand increases units can get back to service, remain in service and be efficient in the delivery of megawatts.

He said Eskom announced the summer outlook, which included December and January, and the utility said the country shouldn't be plunged into more than stage 4 load-shedding.

“The team has done exceptionally well to keep it at a level significantly lower than that.”

Ramokgopa said there were significant delays in returning Kusile's unit 1 to service as it was meant to be returned in June last year but was returned about five months later. He said they were confident, given the work the generation team has done, that there won't be a repeat when they want to return unit 2 to service. 

He encouraged the public to comment on the 2023 draft Integrated Resources Plan (IRP) which is out for comment.

“I want to urge that your comment should not be restricted to public commentary or engagement with the media. That doesn't amount to a submission.”

It was unhelpful to make a general comment in the media but it was important to engage in the process, he said, as the cabinet wants to benefit from a multiplicity of views about the IRP. 

On the energy action plan, he said: “The energy action plan is an intervention. An intervention is a set of actions that are time bound and are meant to resolve a particular problem at a particular juncture.

“The energy action plan seeks to resolve the load-shedding problem. The energy action plan does not necessarily result in an energy-secure future. It is an intervention meant to do what is required in the short term.”

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