Page 7 - AfrElec Week 37

AfrElec COMMENTARY AfrElec

shipments from Libya. to quarrels over the distribution of oil revenues
It is not clear whether this lack of action earned by NOC. The LNA, like other factions
was related to a political crisis affecting one of in eastern and southern Libya, has repeatedly
LNA’s allied factions. According to press reports, complained that Tripoli keeps more than its fair
Abdallah al-Thani, the prime minister of the share of the money earned from crude exports,
Tobruk-based interim government known as the and it has indicated that it will not strike a deal
House of Representatives (HoR), submitted his with the GNA unless the latter agrees to certain
resignation on September 13. Al-Thani took this conditions.
step in the wake of demonstrations in Benghazi According to previous reports, those are:
against electricity shortages and deteriorating preventing the use of oil revenues to fund the
living conditions. activities of terrorist and mercenary groups;
On the same day, protests broke out in auditing the central bank’s records of oil reve-
al-Marj, which is held by LNA. Al-Marj has nue accounts for the last few years; and opening
experienced power shortages for the same rea- a designated bank account in another country
son as Benghazi – namely, local power stations’ outside Libya to ensure the equitable distribu-
inability to secure adequate fuel supplies as a tion of oil revenue.
result of NOC’s troubles. Haftar’s statement to Badie on September 15
may indicate that the parties have succeeded in
Revenue distribution meeting the first of these three conditions. Nev-
According to the UN Support Mission in Libya ertheless, it is not clear whether they have done
(UNSMIL), this civil unrest highlights “the the same for the other two issues.
urgent need to lift the oil blockade,” as well as Nor is it clear whether Haftar will be able to
the necessity of negotiating a “full and inclusive” uphold his pledge to lift the blockade that has left
solution for the country’s long-standing political the Libyan oil industry mostly idle for so many
crisis. months. At this point, he may not be able to do
The latter statement is probably a reference so before the end of the month.™

POLICY
ESKOM
Eskom welcomes 11,000 MW of new capacity

SOUTH AFRICA ESKOM has welcomed the South African gov- collaborating with the Department of Min-
ernment’s plans to bring on a total of 11,813 MW eral Resources and Energy (DMRE) and the
of generating capacity owned both by itself and IPP (Independent Power Producer) Office to
by private developers. enable an accelerated execution to bring addi-
Eskom said in a statement that it was pleased tional capacity onto the grid in the shortest time
to note that the National Energy Regulator of possible.
South Africa (NERSA) has concurred with Eskom says it is also pleased to note the pro-
the ministerial determination for the procure- gress with the procurement of the 2,000 MW of
ment of 11,813 MW of electricity generation emergency generating capacity, which it hopes
infrastructure. will start being connected to the national grid by
The total refers to a list of projects issues by December 2021.
the Minister of Mineral Resources and Energy “While the 2,000-MW emergency procure-
in February 2020. ment is a step in the right direction, Eskom
These power plants form part of the gov- would like to stress the immediate need to
ernment’s Integrated Resources Plan of 2019 urgently accelerate the procurement of at least
(IRP2019), which aims to commission a new 3,000 MW of further generation capacity to
generation of much-needed power plants by help ease the supply constraints the country is
2030. currently going through,” the company said in
Eskom’s support for the IRP constrasts with its statement.
its position in recent years under different man- “As Eskom has often stated, enabling the
agement, when it was not keen on the IRP bring- emergency procurement of 5,000 MW [of]
ing in private generators. additional generation capacity is critical to keep
“Given the current supply constraints, this the lights on and help power the rebuilding of
additional generation capacity is urgently an economy decimated by the [coronavirus]
required and will be an important contribution COVID-19 pandemic. Bringing in additional
towards ending load-shedding and ensuring generation capacity will also help take the pres-
energy security for the country,” Eskom CEO sure off Eskom and create space for the main-
André de Ruyter said. tenance of its ageing power stations, while
Eskom says it is looking forward to powering a growing economy,” Eskom said.™

Week 37 17•September•2020 www. NEWSBASE .com P7