Electricity utility Eskom told lawmakers on Wednesday that the risk of load-shedding remained high for the upcoming summer season, while confirming that there had already been 91 days of load-shedding during 2022. Eskom’s summer ‘base case’ is premised on there being 13 000 MW of onging unplanned breakdowns in addition to any planned maintenance, which rises substantially in the lower-demand summer months.
Financial services provider Capitec has commissioned solar installation company Impower to design, install and maintain an electricity solution that integrates both solar and a battery backup system, at its headquarters in Stellenbosch.   The banking giant says it has turned to solar as a long-term solution to reduce its reliance on the national grid, minimise energy costs and play its part in contributing toward net zero.
South Africa is forging ahead with a plan to create a new State-owned power company by converting three coal-fired plants into gas-burning generators to ease the nation’s energy crisis. State power utility Eskom generates most of South Africa’s electricity, and has subjected the country to rolling blackouts since 2008 because its old and poorly maintained facilities can’t keep pace with demand. The proposed new company, dubbed Generation 2, will take over the three plants that are set for decommissioning, according to Energy, Minerals and Resource Minister Gwede Mantashe.