By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Eskom has warned that it might have to implement load shedding at short notice on Wednesday (10 August), due to losses in generating capacity.
If forced to implement rolling blackouts, the utility said it will be at stage 2, between 16h00 and 00h00.
The warning comes as Eskom experienced breakdowns at the Majuba, Tutuka and Kriel power stations, which have put a severe strain on the power generation system.
“The delay in returning two generation units at Arnot, a unit each at Kusile and Hendrina power stations has exacerbated the electricity generation constraints, “it said.
The latest warning follows load shedding being implemented up to stage 4 last week. Before that, South Africans experiences an 11-day reprieve after weeks of high levels of load shedding in June and July.
The period pushed president Cyril Ramaphosa to take drastic action and implement an energy crisis plan, which will see the government reduce red tape and fast-track new energy capacity builds to bolster the country’s energy sources.
At the start of the month, the president’s Energy Crisis Committee laid out a plan that will see the country add as much as 1,950MW of power to the grid over the next three months. However, analysts have stressed that this is not enough to cover Eskom’s immediate shortfall of 6,000MW.
Meanwhile Eskom has submitted its proposed 2023 Tariff Restructuring Plan to energy regulator Nersa, showing how the group wants to make sweeping changes to its price structures.
Included in the new proposals is a new residential tariff – called Homeflex – “that is more cost-reflective in structure and adaptable to evolving customer needs, changes in technology, and the changing energy environment, thereby providing a benefit to both the customers and Eskom,” the group said.
The proposed tariff restructuring plan is forward-looking and provides signals for further optimal use of the South African electricity system, said Eskom.
“Existing tariff structures are outdated and need to be modernised to reflect the changing electricity environment, and crucial decisions in this regard are needed to protect the electricity industry,” said Eskom Group executive for Distribution, Monde Bala.
For example, customers are installing their own power generators and are using the grid in different ways, and the wheeling of energy is also expanding. Fair and equitable revenue recovery from all customers for the services provided can only happen with tariffs and tariff structures that are modernised to reflect this changing environment.”
The following are the key objectives of the submission:
- To reflect unbundled costs more accurately;
- To reflect the changing electricity supply and demand environment;
- Alignment between wholesale purchases and retail tariffs and;
- Mitigate volume and revenue risk.
Eskom said that the structure of this relationship between self-generators and Eskom will evolve over time, but added that there are benefits to keeping ties to the national grid and not completely moving off-grid.