Page 17 - AfrElec Week 03 2023

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SA aims to end chronic power

outages in 12-18 months

SOUTH AFRICA SOUTH Africa plans to improve energy provi- problem.”
sion that will end the need for any rolling power Referring to a move last week by the National
cuts, known locally as load shedding, within the Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) to
next 12-18 months, Finance Minister Enoch approve an 18.65% electricity tariff increase for
Godongwana said on Monday (January 16), the financial year starting on April 1, he stated:
Reuters reports. “I suspect it is going to give them [Eskom] suffi-
“Eventually, in the next 12-18 months, we will cient resources to be able to deal with all of that
be able to say load shedding is a thing of the past. stuff.”
That is the target,” Godongwana told the newsa Godongwana also insisted that the rand “has
agency on the margins of the World Economic proven to be resilient,” despite the fact that the
Form (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland. South African currency fell against the dollar
Power cuts have escalated since last Tuesday earlier on Monday as investors worried about
(January 10) when the struggling state-owned the power supply situation. But he said South
enterprise (SOE) utility Eskom implemented Africa needed to better communicate that it was
its worst-ever rolling outages (Stage 6) for 8-12 tackling the problem, writes Reuters.
hours a day across the country until further President Cyril Ramaphosa, who earlier can-
notice. celled his working trip to Davos over the escalat-
According to Godongwana, Stage 6 power ing energy crisis in the country, would refer to
cuts would no longer be needed within about five those efforts in his State of the Nation Address on
months as facilities are revamped and measures February 9, Godongwana told the news agency.
such as demand management take effect. According to Reuters, the minister would not
Asked whether the utility could expect to be elaborate on proposals for the state to take on a
allocated more cash for diesel to help reduce the share of Eskom’s ZAR400bn (about $23bn) debt,
current high level of power cuts, the minister saying he would provide the details in his Febru-
told Reuters: “I don’t think Eskom has a diesel ary 23 budget presentation.™
problem. I think Eskom has got a management
Presidential candidates

supports Siemens deal

NIGERIA LABOUR Party presidential candidate, Peter training centres, and workshops, through which
Obi, has pledged to immediately complete the many jobs will be created.
$2.3bn Siemens power project if elected in Nige- The Siemens power project, initially signed
ria’s upcoming general elections. by President Muhammadu Buhari in 2019 with
The election is due to take place on February the aim of modernizing Nigeria’s national grid,
25, and the winner will replace the term-lim- has been delayed by several factors including the
ited incumbent Muhamadu Buhari as Nigerian COVID-19 pandemic.
President. “Our solution to the perennial power prob-
Obi, seen as the frontrunner, made the lem in Nigeria is a comprehensive one that cov-
pledge to complete the power plant at the United ers transmission, distribution, generation, and
Kingdom-based policy institute Chatham House financing as detailed in our Manifesto,” Obi said.
on January 16, where he outlined a compre- “[We] will immediately complete the $2.3bn
hensive solution to Nigeria’s perennial power Nigeria-Siemens network improvement deal to
problem. achieve 7,000 MW stable capacity by the end of
As well as completing the Siemens plant, Obi this year (2023), 11,000 MW by 2024, and 25,000
pledged that his administration would support MW by 2025.”™
local manufacturing capacity of power technol-
ogies and encourage and expand local Research
and Development (R&D) in universities,

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