WATCH: Eskom minister Ramokgopa says there’s ‘no magic’ in not having load shedding

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said on Monday that the Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF), currently at 70.78%, has been gradually increasing and has surpassed the 70% benchmark for the first time in years.

Addressing the media at Kusile power station in Mpumalanga, the minister said Eskom’s improvement of the EAF has reduced reliance on burning diesel.

Ramokgopa added that the energy availability was made possible by “aggressive maintenance,” which took place between December and January, where Eskom took 18% of its productive capacity offline for refurbishments.

He boasted about the “short-term pain and long-term gain” plan, which he says directly resulted in an “orchestrated and deliberate” effort to improve Eskom’s performance.

“There is nothing sudden about this, there is no black magic, it’s science at work,” said the minister.

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A decrease in diesel consumption

Ramokgopa threw out the allegations of diesel-burning open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs) powering the uninterrupted electricity supply.

He also said that the reliance on OCGTs has been reduced due to Kendal Power Station running on six units.

Furthermore, the minister added that some of the naysayers who were afforded the opportunity to improve Eskom’s state chose to “continue its erosion”.

“It’s just [that] the naysayers [are] exceptionally uncomfortable with the fact that the country is making the kind of progress that it’s making.” said Ramokgopa.

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Moreover, he added that the current Eskom team was “getting it right” and consistently improving the utility’s performance and competence.

“Naturally, this means people are going to be aggrieved that ‘no, I was there; it means they are burning diesel’, Uh-uh, we are not burning diesel; you have been burning it; we are not burning it.”

“If you are a flag bearer of incompetence please don’t transfer it to us, the team [Eskom] has turned the curve,” Ramokgopa reiterated.

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Although Ramokgopa posted on his social media that “end of load shedding is within reach”, during the Kusile briefing, he said the country was not yet out of the woods.

He said that while he acknowledges that the country has gone 47 days without load shedding, there is still room for improvement.

Additionally, the minister emphasised the need to continue maintenance and push old power stations to perform at the same rates as new power stations.

“We are not necessarily out of the woods yet; we need to ensure that we bring these other power stations to the levels of Lethabo, Kusile and Medupi,” Ramokgopa said.

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Eskom senior manager Eric Shunmagam said the worst case scenario of disturbed improvement of the EAF would be a stage 5 load shedding, while a lower case scenario would only be stage 2.

Watch: Electricity minister Ramokgopa Eskom briefing