There's a reduction in the number of hours South Africans experienced load shedding - Ramokgopa

There has been a reduction in the number of hours South Africans experienced load shedding.

This was said by Electricity Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who was updating the nation on Monday on the implementation of the Energy Action Plan.

‘’Load shedding has been reduced by some 600 hours during the December and January 2023/24 period as compared to the previous year.’’

COURTESY - @GovernmentZA: Electricity Minister, Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa

He said a further 3510MW of capacity has been clawed back into the system over the past year as a result of interventions at power stations.

“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,” added Ramagopa.

Despite improvements, the Minister insisted that load shedding – in any form – remains “unacceptable”.

“We are going in the right direction. Ultimately, we want to go into a situation where I’m able to stand before the public and say we have not experienced any hours of load shedding. Load shedding in its totality is unacceptable.

“But we have come to a situation where it has become a daily occurrence so gradually, we want to reduce that intensity of load shedding.”

 

Done by: Mitchum George