FF Plus MP and chief spokesperson on Mineral Resources and Energy, Dr Wynand Boshoff, has slammed Eskom for not being honest about the increased levels of load shedding around the country.
In a media statement, Dr Boshoff says stage 6 load shedding was announced over the weekend shortly after unit 1 of the Koeberg power station was synchronised with the grid.
Whilst it was claimed that the return of the Koeberg unit was a breakthrough, Dr Boshoff says the lower levels of load shedding were a result of Eskom using emergency fuel reserves.
“Over the rest of the weekend, however, units at other power stations started failing while ‘emergency reserves’ had to be topped up. All it means is that Eskom’s diesel power stations simply cannot store enough fuel to keep running.
“These open-cycle gas turbines should only be used during emergencies. But now it is an emergency when they cannot be used.
“These power interruptions are sowing destruction in the country’s economy and people’s lives. While most households and businesses have adapted to getting by during power outages lasting about two hours, four hours are simply too long. Batteries and other forms of power storage simply do not last that long, he says.
Dr Boshoff acknowledges that the recent heatwave is most probably also contributing to the unpredictability of power provision. Not only are the generation units less effective in higher temperatures, but the power consumption of cold rooms, refrigerators and water plants also skyrocket.
He also warned that more and more municipalities are struggling to keep their water reservoirs full due to the load shedding.
“There are certain residential areas in Kimberley (Sol Plaatje Municipality) and Hartswater (Phokwane Municipality) that have not had running water for weeks. The water systems were not designed to stand still for up to six hours per day.”
