Emthethweni esiyingqopha-mlando koMasipala baseNingizimu Afrika, uMasipala weTheku ube iMetro yokuqala kuleli ukuthola imvume yokuzakhela owawo ugesi emithonjeni yamandla avuselelekayo.
Lokhu kulandela isimemezelo sikaNgqongqoshe Wezamandla Nezamandla, uDkt. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, seSinqumo sikaNgqongqoshe Sesigaba 34 esinikeza uMasipala weTheku amandla okuthenga amandla amasha okuphehla amandla ukuze uhlangabezane nezidingo zawo ezikhulayo zamandla. Ekhuluma esithangamini sabezindaba esihlanganyelwe, uNgqongqoshe u-Ramokgopa uncome iTheku ngokuphikelela kanye nokubona amasu okuhamba phambili, wathi ukugunyazwa kuphawula igxathu elikhulu ekuzilawuleni kukamasipala ugesi kanye nokusimama kwezimali.
I-Bold Energy Shift: 400MW Womthamo Omusha, uhlelo olugunyaziwe luzokwenza uMasipala ukwazi ukuthenga ama-megawatts (MW) angama-400 omthamo wokuphehla kabusha:• 100 MW Solar PV, • 300 MW Gas-to-Power (GTP) kanti kugxilwe kubuchwepheshe bamandla athunyelwayo, obuthembekile kanye nekhabhoni ephansi obuzoqinisa ukuqina kwamandla edolobha.
IMeya uKhansela Cyril Xaba usishayele ihlombe lesi simemezelo njengengqophamlando emgwaqeni wezamandla weTheku.“Lokhu kuwushintsho olukhulu edolobhaneni lethu, kuthuthukisa ukuvikeleka kukagesi, kunciphisa ukuthembela kugridi kazwelonke, kubeke iTheku njengelihamba phambili ekuthuthukisweni kwedolobha elisimeme. Lolu hlelo kulindeleke ukuthi longe u-R5 billion kaMasipala ngesikhathi sezivumelwano zokuthenga ugesi (PPAs), okusho ukuthi u-R250 million wokonga ngonyaka.” kusho iMeya uXaba.
Lolu hlelo lulindeleke futhi ukuthi:
• Ukuvula u-R8.5 billion ekutshalweni kwezimali kwangasese
• Ukudala amathuba emisebenzi angaba ngu-2,200 ngesikhathi sokwakha nesigaba sokusebenza
• Yehlisa ukuthembela kweTheku kugridi kazwelonke ngo-18% uma isisebenza ngokugcwele.
“Lolu hlelo akulona olwamandla nje kuphela, lumayelana nokukhula komnotho, ukugqugquzela izimboni kanye nokuqinisekisa idolobha lethu esikhathini esizayo.” kwengeza iMeya uXaba. Inqubo yokuthenga izokwethulwa ngezigaba:
• Isicelo se-Solar PV Seziphakamiso (i-RFP) sizokhishwa ngo-Disemba 2025 kanti ukwakhiwa kulindeleke ngo-Septhemba 2027.
• I-RFP ye-Gas-to-Power ezolandela ngo-2026 neminye imininingwane izomenyezelwa ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Lesi sinyathelo esihamba phambili sibeka iTheku phambili ekusunguleni ugesi kaMasipala nokubeka isibonelo kwamanye amadolobha.
