State-owned utility Eskom says it is still in the process of quantifying the likely impact of surging diesel prices on the cost of producing electricity at its open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) facilities but has cautioned that continued steep price rises will be difficult to absorb in light of its financial constraints. Eskom had been relying heavily on its OCGT plants, as well as those operated by independent power producers, ahead of its most recent decision to implement Stage 2 load-shedding on Monday – a decision that has since been extended to 5:00 on Saturday March 12.
