2023 cumulative load shedding worst in 15 years
What should the lesson be for 2024?
I was recently asked by the journalist Nicola Daniels on what my expectations are for load shedding during 2024.
I am glad that she quoted me word for word.
“Eskom has to find a way to do maintenance and extend the lifetime of the plants. Government has been dragging their feet regarding it, but if we continue to pretend that we don't have a coal fleet then Loadshedding will continue. What we need is for Eskom’s leadership to commit in law to fix the coal fleet, to overhaul it. If we fix only 10% of the installed capacity then Loadshedding will be a thing of the past.”
If Eskom was competent enough to fix load shedding from 2009 to 2013 and then again from 2016 to 2017, then what on earth occurred in the years after that? Especially if we consider that Medupi and Kusile is now available?
How does one become so “incompetent” in such a short period of time?
South Africans should not be misled. Eskom's coal fleet is indeed repairable, South Africa does have the skills to repair it, and all that addressing this issue requires, is the political will.
The most effective policy in 2024 would be for The Department of Minerals and Energy to mandate that Eskom's board and executive commit in law to fixing the entire coal fleet.
2024 is an election year and I hope that the other political parties pick up on it.
Your "effective policy" proposal as it stands is missing an essential component, without which it makes no sense. If I were on Eskom's board or an executive, I wouldn't commit to it without a reciprocal commitment from the Department of Minerals and Energy to ensure that the necessary intellectual, physical and financial resources are made available to achieve what they ask. The work required doesn't come for free or without more resources than Eskom currently has it is disposal.