Johannesburg power utility City Power is set to help the Gauteng provincial government with an energy mix strategy which intends to reduce the impact of load-shedding in the province.
The provincial government, along with City Power, assessed the utility's plants on Thursday, which have been earmarked for upgrades, as part of the provincial alternative energy plan.
This follows the announcement of a R441m investment towards the rollout of the Gauteng Energy Plan. The province, through City Power, plans to build generating capacity in order to deal with load-shedding and avoid over-relying on Eskom.
Gauteng finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo, Cogta MEC Mzi Khumalo, City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava and City Power chairperson Bonolo Ramokhele visited an open-cycle gas turbine in the inner city and Rand Water pump station in Roodepoort.
"We set an objective for ourselves that we cannot sit aside as the provincial government while the situation [load-shedding] is getting out of control as it is. Load-shedding has huge economic implications for the province and the investments that we want for the province," said Khumalo.
City Power's provincial energy mix plan set to add more MW on the grid
Image: Sowetan / Antonio Muchave
Johannesburg power utility City Power is set to help the Gauteng provincial government with an energy mix strategy which intends to reduce the impact of load-shedding in the province.
The provincial government, along with City Power, assessed the utility's plants on Thursday, which have been earmarked for upgrades, as part of the provincial alternative energy plan.
This follows the announcement of a R441m investment towards the rollout of the Gauteng Energy Plan. The province, through City Power, plans to build generating capacity in order to deal with load-shedding and avoid over-relying on Eskom.
Gauteng finance MEC Jacob Mamabolo, Cogta MEC Mzi Khumalo, City Power CEO Tshifularo Mashava and City Power chairperson Bonolo Ramokhele visited an open-cycle gas turbine in the inner city and Rand Water pump station in Roodepoort.
"We set an objective for ourselves that we cannot sit aside as the provincial government while the situation [load-shedding] is getting out of control as it is. Load-shedding has huge economic implications for the province and the investments that we want for the province," said Khumalo.
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He said the province took into account that it was not its mandate to supply electricity but local government.
"We look at all local governments we have, including Tshwane, Ekurhuleni and the two districts [Sedibeng and West Rand] and then we came to a conclusion that City Power is best placed to help us with the work that we want to do.
"We then went to City Power, had discussions with them and agreed on a memorandum of understanding, which contains the fact that they will have to help us with the energy mix strategy that we have developed as the province, which intends to reduce the impact of load-shedding or totally eradicate load-shedding in the province," he said.
Khumalo said the province is satisfied with City Power and confident that in April they will have an additional 50MW of power in the province, while working on generating 350MW to reduce the impact of load-shedding.
"All municipalities in the province will be the beneficiaries," he said.
TimesLIVE
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