Written by Dohne Damons
The South African Energy Crisis Committee set new laws in place that plan to end load shedding.
Rhamaphosa cancelled his trip to Davos earlier this week to hold an emergency meeting with South Africa’s National Energy Crisis Committee.
The law is meant to fast-track plant development.
Necom laws that plan to ease blackouts in the country:
- The first of more than 100 privately owned power plants being developed will connect to the grid by the end of this year. In total, the planned projects could produce 9 000 megawatts, much of it for the companies’ own use.
- Emergency legislation is being developed to allow the faster approval and development of power plants.
- Contracts for the construction of plants that will produce 2 800 megawatts of renewable energy for the grid have been signed and construction will soon begin.
- As much as 1 000 megawatts may be imported this year from neighbouring countries and Eskom will buy 1 000 megawatts of excess energy from private producers who already have facilities.
- Six of Eskom’s 14 coal-fired power plants have been “identified for particular focus” in a bid to get them to perform more reliably.
- Efforts to finish incomplete plants and maintenance of other major units are being made.
- The time to complete regulatory processes for new plants has been reduced.
Source: Businesstech
Government received harsh criticism in 2022 when the country endured 205 days of rolling blackouts.
The start of 2023 is no better since the country experienced power cuts daily.
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