By Zuko Komisa
Eskom has warned that Stage 2 and 3 load-shedding will possibly be in effect for the next 2 years.
During a news conference on Sunday morning, Eskom board chairman Mpho Makwana stated that the state-owned utility intends to conduct load shedding at either stage 2 or stage 3 for the ensuing 24 months as it tries to resolve the electricity supply problem.
According to Makwana, the new strategy aims to raise Eskom’s so-called “energy availability factor” (EAF) from roughly 58% to 65% by the end of March 2024 and 70% by the end of March 2025.
Loadshedding: Update on system challenges https://t.co/R5nBoD0Vgs via @YouTube
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) January 22, 2023
Makwana detailed Eskom’s plant performance recovery plan, which was in the final stages of being approved.
“The recovery of generation performance will not happen within a short space of time, the execution of the recovery plan requires that power stations are given space and headroom to execute the recovery plan.
This requires either adding additional capacity to create space to do proper maintenance without firefighting , or create some predictability by implementing a permanent stage 2 or 3 for the next two years in order to give sufficient space for maintenance while giving the country a level of predictability or consistency to plan the livelihoods better.
“Shuttling from one stage to another within a short space of time is not good for the business community.” said Makwana,
This plan was announced in the National Energy Crisis Committee’s six-month progress update on the implementation of President Cyril Ramaphosa’s energy action plan.
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