SOUTH Africans have “technically” experienced load shedding stages beyond the usual 6 over the past few weeks, according to energy analysts.
And they have warned that the country could see power cuts going beyond Stage 8 as soon as a document that would allow Eskom to do so was approved.
On April 13 the power utility cut about 7 077MW from the grid, the equivalent of Stage 8.
On Friday, Eskom load shed about 5 783MW, equivalent to Stage 6 and on April 20 it cut about 6 066MW from the grid, which was technically equivalent to Stage 7.
Energy analyst Lungile Mashele said Eskom was “reluctant” to announce that South Africans had been subjected to higher stages as these fluctuated depending on the day and time.
“Technically, we had on certain days reached load shedding stages beyond the usual 6,” said Mashele.
Another expert, Hilton Trollip, said the power shortage on certain days was over 7 000MW but with the agreement of industrial customers Eskom interrupted power supply to avoid Stage 8.
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa was expected to table a plan to end load shedding at the ANC National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting this weekend, following an earlier attempt at a special Cabinet meeting on April 19.
The plan reportedly sought to establish a private-public partnership to keep some coal-fired power stations running as part of the efforts to end the energy crisis.
However, both Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan and Minerals and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe allegedly told Ramokgopa to “focus on his own portfolio“, and that he should take his proposal to extend the life of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations to the National Energy Crisis Committee.
Eskom planned to decommission and repurpose coal-fired power plants at Camden, Hendrina, and Grootvlei.
Ramokgopa reportedly pleaded with the National Working Committee earlier to delay the plans..
Mashele said: “Without a doubt we need the coal-fired stations to boost energy supply. Just because Eskom agreed to decommission certain plants does not mean that they cannot be kept running until a suitable alternative is found.
“Because those plants were decommissioned no maintenance work was done. We need to maintain and operate the existing plants.”
She called for Ramokgopa to be given powers in order to resolve the electricity crisis.
Without such powers he was being set up for failure.
Political analyst Ralph Mathekga agreed and warned that while the “power struggles” continued, South Africans would not see a tangible solution to the electricity crisis.
“Politically, there's no agreement on how to solve the problem we are faced with, both at Cabinet level and within the ruling party. And Ramokgopa does not have the political gravitas as the other two Cabinet ministers. He needs some serious backing up,” said Mathekga.
Trollip said he did not expect the private-public partnership proposal to be approved as it was not the policy of the government to privatise.
“It's all talk, talk. There's no plan,” he said.
Earlier this month, Ramokgopa warned the country to brace itself for a cold winter as the demand for energy was expected to increase, resulting in more power cuts.
Despite a request by Muslim faith leaders for load shedding to be halted for the Eid celebration this weekend, Gordhan said the energy system was “extremely” constrained and load shedding stages would be required during the day and Stage 4 in the evening, both yesterday and today.