Getting National Treasury’s buy-in for public-private coal power station life extensions is highly unlikely, as is credible private sector preparedness to bid for such initiatives when, globally, the push is for clean energy. Read more in Daily Maverick: These five German energy companies are reviewing Eskom’s operations, Scopa finally told
This review is part of the R254-billion bailout Eskom received in the 2023 Budget on several conditions, including a ban on borrowing money for infrastructure. This comes as Eskom’s operational review by a consortium of five German companies remains underway, with the report and recommendations expected mid-2023. Government Communication and Information System (GCIS) confirmed that Ramokgopa had briefed Cabinet, and that “a further assessment of the electricity situation” would be made when the National Energy Crisis Committee meets again.Įlectricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa visits Hendrina Power Station on 30 March 2023. The Electricity Regulation Amendment Bill falls into the National Energy Action Plan and the domestic structural reform priorities under Operation Vulindlela, the joint Presidency and National Treasury initiative, including visa regimen, transport logistics and water systems.Ĭabinet on Wednesday was considering Ramokgopa’s proposals on extending the life of ageing coal power stations through public-private partnerships to lessen the impact on the fiscus, according to News24. His commentary seems out of step with the agreed July 2022 National Energy Action Plan and its five policy priorities: fixing electricity availability accelerating private investment in generation and the procurement of renewables and battery storage facilitating household and business rooftop solar, and “fundamentally transform the electricity sector to achieve long-term energy security”. You are plunging the country into the dark… How do you decommission in the middle of a crisis?” Energy backtrack? Later, he added: “You can’t be looking for additional megawatts when you are planning to take out megawatts. “The preoccupation can’t be about the Eskom balance sheet - it must be about the cost to the economy…” Ramokgopa said repeatedly, even as he acknowledged that money was the domain of National Treasury.
Such governance hara-kiri is underscored in the political noise and hype for shortcuts like reversing the agreed timetable on decommissioning ageing coal power plants that Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa flighted in a televised briefing on 6 April.
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