Cape Town – Minister of Electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has announced that the government is procuring additional sources of energy, including nuclear and gas, to enhance energy security.
As part of the 2019 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), the government will begin the process to procure 2,500MW of nuclear energy in 2024, the mister said.
He was responding to a written parliamentary question from Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) member of parliament Mzwanele Manyi, who had asked about the government’s long-term strategy for ensuring energy security supply.
According to IOL, Ramokgopa said: “Based on the 2019 IRP government will in 2024 will commence the procurement of: 2,500MW nuclear energy.
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“The conversion of Gourikwa and Ankerlig to gas from diesel/open gas turbine (OCGT) which will yield 2,000MW and a further 1,000MW conversion into Closed Cycle Gas Turbine.
“An additional 3,000MW is approved in Richards Bay. Eskom will rollout plans for the development of solar PV coupled with battery energy storage systems which will yield 4,000MW.”
Ramokgopa said that the government also planned to invest in expanding transmission lines by 14,000km and encouraged private sector investment in renewable energy projects.
Meanwhile, the minister indicated during a media briefing on Monday that interventions at Eskom power stations had led to a reduction of approximately 600 hours of load shedding during the December and January period of 2023/24 compared to the previous year.
[WATCH] Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa: “We have managed to reduce #loadshedding by 600 hours. This is an achievement for us because it means we are heading in the right direction.” #Newzroom405 #eskom pic.twitter.com/clVyresDzN
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) February 26, 2024
“Over the period…of January 2023 to January 2024, we have been able to get back 3510MW as a result of interventions. These interventions are not complete. There’s still additional work that we must do at Tutuka [Power Station]. There’s additional work that continues to be done at Kendal, Matla and the other power stations.
“If you were to take December of 2022 to February of 2023 and then you take the period of December 2023 to February 2024…the period of the year that was, we have experienced load shedding of about 1800 hours.
“When you see the period a year later…we have had about 1200 hours of load shedding. Essentially, we have been able to reduce the hours of load shedding by about 600 hours. We are going in the right direction,” Ramokgopa said.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
