SHEILA MHLONGO
–
Igridi kagesi yaseNingizimu Afrika iyaqhubeka nokukhombisa ukuzinza, njengoba u-Eskom ebike ukuthi sekudlule izinsuku ezingaphezu kuka-300 kungekho load shedding.
“Inethiwekhi kagesi yaseNingizimu Afrika iyaqhubeka nokukhombisa isikhathi eside sokuzinza, lapho amathuba okukhiqiza kagesi ka-Eskom ethuthuka njalo futhi ukusebenza sekusezingeni eliqinile,” kusho inkampani.
Esitatimendeni esikhishwe ngoLwesihlanu, u-Eskom uthe izwe selihlangabezane nezinsuku ezingu-315 zilandelana ngaphandle kokuphazamiseka kokunikezwa kukagesi. Kubikwe amahora angu-26 kuphela e-load shedding ngo-Ephreli nangoMeyi 2025.
U-Eskom uthe lempumelelo yenzeke ngenxa yoHlelo Lokubuyiselwa Kokukhiqiza Ugesi (Generation Recovery Plan), oluholele ekutheni i-Energy Availability Factor (EAF) ikhule ngo-10.80%. I-EAF manje imi ku-65.37% kulo nyaka wezimali kuze kube manje, uma kuqhathaniswa neminyaka emibili eyedlule.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izindleko zikadizili zehle ngo-61.22% uma kuqhathaniswa nonyaka odlule.
“Le ntuthuko iqinisekisa ukuzibophezela kuka-Eskom ekuqinisekiseni ukusimama kwesikhathi eside kukagesi nokweseka ukukhula komnotho waseNingizimu Afrika,” kusho inkampani, iphinde yaveza ukuthi i-EAF iqhubeka nokuhlala ingaphezu kuka-65%.
Phakathi kuka-20 no-26 Mashi 2026, iziphazamiso ezingalindelekile (unplanned outages) zibe ku-11 265MW, okuyinqubekela phambili ebonakalayo uma kuqhathaniswa no-14 122MW ngesikhathi esifanayo ngonyaka odlule — ukwehla ngo-2 857MW.
“Lokhu kubonisa inqubekela phambili eqhubekayo ekuthembekeni kwamayunithi okukhiqiza ugesi.”
Kulo nyaka wezimali kusukela mhla lu-1 ku-Ephreli 2025 kuya ku-26 Mashi 2026, izindleko zikadizili zimi ku-R10.098 billion, okuyinani eliphansi kakhulu uma kuqhathaniswa nesikhathi esifanayo ngonyaka odlule — ukwehla ngo-61.22%.
“Esontweni eledlule, ukusetshenziswa kukadizili kufake u-0.49 GWh kagesi kunethiwekhi ngentengo engu-R2.78 million, okwaholela ku-load factor wamasonto angu-0.085%. Lokhu kusetshenziswa kukadizili kwakuhambisana kakhulu nezivivinyo zokuqalisa kabusha (commissioning tests) ngesikhathi kubuyiselwa ukusebenza kwe-Unit 11 eGourikwa Power Station ngemuva kokuphazamiseka okukhulu,” kusho inkampani.
Ukuze kuqinisekiswe ukuqhubeka kokuzinza kokunikezwa kukagesi, u-Eskom uzofaka emsebenzini amandla okukhiqiza angu-2 995MW ngaphambi kwesikhathi sokusetshenziswa okuphezulu kusihlwa ngoMsombuluko, 30 Mashi.
U-Eskom uphinde washicilela i-Summer Outlook mhla zi-5 kuMandulo 2025, ehlanganisa isikhathi esisuka mhla lu-1 kuSepthemba 2025 kuya ku-31 Mashi 2026, okuchaza ukuthi ngeke kube khona load shedding ngenxa yentuthuko eqhubekayo yokusebenza kweziteshi zikagesi ngenxa yoHlelo Lokubuyiselwa Kokukhiqiza Ugesi.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, inkampani iyaqhubeka nokwenza inqubekelaphambili ekuqedeni ukunciphisa ugesi (load reduction), njengoba amakhasimende angu-210 453 engasebenzi ngaphansi kwalolu hlelo ngesikhathi sokusetshenziswa okuphezulu.
“Nakuba uhlelo lukagesi lusazinzile futhi amandla okukhiqiza edlula isidingo, ukuxhunywa kukagesi ngokungemthetho kanye nokuphazamiseka kwamamitha kusaqhubeka, okubangela ukulimala kwengqalasizinda nokubeka impilo yabantu engcupheni enkulu. Ngenxa yalokho, u-Eskom uyaqhubeka nokusebenzisa ukunciphisa ugesi njengendlela yesikhashana ezindaweni ezisengozini enkulu ukuvikela imiphakathi kanye nenethiwekhi kagesi.”
Ukubhekana nalezi zinselelo ngendlela eqhubekayo, u-Eskom usethule uhlelo olunezigaba lokuqeda ngokuphelele ukunciphisa ugesi ngo-2027. Lolu hlelo lubhekiswe kuma-feeder angu-971 futhi luzozuzisa amakhasimende acishe abe yizigidi ezingu-1.69 kuzo zonke izifundazwe, phakathi kwamakhasimende ka-Eskom angu-7.2 million. – SAnews.gov.za
