Mayor Parks Tau said on Wednesday during the State of the City Address , Johannesburg should be able to reduce, for short periods of time, its dependence on Eskom by up to 25%, using a combination of ripple control (to switch off geysers), power from household solar panels and, chiefly, electricity bought from the Kelvin power station.
Kelvin, near OR Tambo International Airport, is one of only a handful of power stations not owned by Eskom and has a contract to supply Johannesburg until 2021.
Tau said “The City was engaging with the private sector to secure investment,” that would triple its output, restoring it to the full 600 megawatts it was rated for when it was built nearly 60 years ago.
“We are innovating to transform our levels of service. No one in Joburg needs reminding of the economic strain and constant inconvenience that load shedding represents.
“By investing in innovation through smart meters over several years, Joburg is now able to dramatically reduce the extent of load shedding through our new load limiting system.
“This allows business and everyday home-owners to reduce their own electricity usage in order to avoid the rolling blackouts of load shedding,” he said.
He said at 200 megawatts, Kelvin power station can provide about 7% of the City’s needs “We are engaging with the private sector to secure investment in Kelvin to push its capacity to at least 600 megawatts,” he said.
He said combining these innovations with electricity generated by users, through solar panels and other technology, plus ripple control which allow the city to manage power usage in specific areas.
“The city can reduce power from the grid by 25% without blackouts from any City Power areas. This is part of the wider commitment to ensure a reduced economic impact and basic service levels meet expectations,” he said.
