- The power station lease is to a private service provider for 40 years to generate 1,000 megawatts.
- Mayor Cilliers Brink unveiled an energy master plan to procure at least 1,000 megawatts of electricity independent from Eskom in the next three years.
The South African Municipal Workers Union (Samwu) in Gauteng has called for the City of Tshwane to be transparent during its proposed power station lease consultation. The City plans to lease Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations to independent power producers.
This comes after Mayor Cilliers Brink unveiled an energy master plan for the metro to procure at least 1,000 megawatts of electricity independent from the struggling Eskom in the next three years. Brink said the plan aims to reduce reliance on the ailing power utility and mitigate the negative impact of the ongoing load shedding imposed by Eskom on the municipality.
Last week, the council resolved to subject the proposed alternative energy generation to a public participation process. Samwu provincial secretary, Mpho Tladinyane, said the union acknowledged Brink’s statement regarding the future of both Rooiwal and Pretoria West power stations.
“The City of Tshwane has clearly articulated its intention to lease the two power stations to a private service provider for a duration of 40 years, with the aim of generating a minimum of 1,000 megawatts. Samwu has consistently provided suggestions to the employer to ensure the effective operation of these power stations,” he said. He added that while the union appreciated a proposal for additional megawatts to the grid to alleviate load shedding, it “cannot overlook the negative experience associated with the Kratos unsolicited bid saga”.