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SA needs extra 4,000-6,000MW of power capacity - Eskom

South Africa needs an extra 4,000 to 6,000 megawatts (MW) of generation capacity to eliminate the risk of scheduled power cuts, Eskom said on Monday, 25 October, adding it would forge ahead with a maintenance plan to improve its performance.

By Alexander Winning

25 Oct 2021

Source: Reuters/Siphiwe Sibeko

"To ensure system stability and to meet demand, a minimum 4,000MW of additional generating capacity is critical," Eskom said in a briefing on the state of the power system. "This will ensure the space for generation to continue with the planned reliability maintenance and refurbishment programme."

The utility said its energy availability factor - a measure of plant performance - in the financial year that started in April was at 65%, below a 70% full-year target. It has implemented outages on roughly 30 days since 1 April.

"Our generation business remains a concern - mainly due to its age and a legacy of poor maintenance," it added.

As of March, Eskom had nominal generation capacity of around 46,000MW.

Source: Reuters

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