- He noted that the energy availability factor has declined from a high of 75% to 49% in recent weeks.
- Mantashe outlined the government’s immediate focus on resolving rolling blackouts, which includes buying power from Mozambique and Zambia.
The Department of Mineral Resources and Energy says it is working hard to resolve load shedding.
Minister Gwede Mantashe told delegates at the ongoing Investing in African Mining Indaba that the declining energy availability factor must be stopped. He noted that the energy availability factor has declined from a high of 75% to 49% in recent weeks.
This year’s Mining Indaba occurred amid intense and crippling rolling blackouts, whose impact has not spared the mining industry. The Chief Economist of the Minerals Council of South Africa, Henk Langenhoven, said, “The challenges are really on a physical level, physical production because of electricity availability because of the logistics being constrained, so real output declined slightly and as you said our contribution to GDP slightly down to R495 Billion. The achievement is that we have been able to increase exports and have employed more people.”
Mantashe outlined the government’s immediate focus on resolving rolling blackouts, which includes buying power from Mozambique and Zambia. Mantashe said, “Our view is that the immediate focus to resolving load shedding must be on the following initiatives and actions. Improving EAF by focusing on resolving load shedding must be on the following initiatives and actions. Improving EAF through a focused funded and planned maintenance of existing power stations. Procurement of emergency or short-term power from existing facilities and other private power plants. Purchase additional electricity from neighbouring countries which can be unblocked in the short to medium term and improve skills capacity at Eskom.”