Stage 15 loadshedding is the latest fearmongering buzzword shaping conversation online, and it all started with Eskom CEO André de Ruyter’s opening keynote at the Africa Renewables Investment Summit held in Cape Town on Wednesday,
Eskom CEO’s ultimate ultimatum: Abandon coal or face Stage 15 loadshedding
In his presentation, De Ruyter warned that coal-fired power stations are the bane of Eskom’s existence, and if nothing is done to divert South Africa’s energy infrastructure away from the highly pollutive power source, the worst of loadshedding is yet to come.
Currently, De Ruyter explained, Eskom sits with a mountain of issues exacerbated by the increased demand for a constant supply of electricity. Moreover, the state-owned entity’s installed generating capacity, per The Conversation, is estimated to be around 44GW (gigawatts), of which 86.3% is sourced from coal power stations.
Already, Eskom is faced with pressure from environmental regulators to undergo a massive retrofitting project to equip power stations with emission-cleaning infrastructure, or shut down 79% of its coal fleet by 2025.
According to De Ruyter, this will roughly cost R300 billion, a bill Eskom simply can’t afford in the short term. At least not without increasing electricity tariffs above the 32% currently under consideration by the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA).
In a statement quoted by My Broadband, De Ruyter shuddered at the thought of turning to Stage 15 loadshedding as the last resort to prevent the catastrophic collapse of South Africa’s energy infrastructure.
“Stage 15 loadshedding. I don’t want to know what that looks like,” the Eskom CEO said.
Eskom’s situation could be worse than Stage 15 loadshedding: Here’s why
In a race against time to meet a court ruling handed down earlier this year by the North Gauteng High Court, where Eskom was given 12 months to enforce anti-pollution regulations and lower emissions, specifically in Mpumalanga and Gauteng, the site of 12 coal-fired power stations, De Ruyter proposed a rapid investment in renewable energy as the solution to loadshedding.
In his presentation, the Eskom CEO explained an urgent investment in renewable energy would bring stability to South Africa’s energy infrastructure in a span of two years, with fewer costs and “abundant concessional green finance.”
De Ruyter painted a darker picture of South Africa’s future with a slide showing an outlook into the energy situation in 2050 if nothing is done to decommission coal-fired power stations.
Turning to renewable energy may be the answer, according to De Ruyter, but it will need a hefty R1.2 trillion investment.
Loadshedding outlook: Stage 4 to remain in place indefinitely
On Wednesday, the embattled power utility announced that Stage 4 loadshedding would remain in place until “diesel stocks have been fully replenished.”
“The vessel that is supposed to offload diesel at Mossel Bay cannot berth due to rough seas. Eskom has to therefore preserve the low diesel levels at Gourikwa, while delivery to Ankerlig will take time to replenish as it is done by road tankers. Stage 4 will be maintained until we can resume diesel supplies to the two Open Cycle Gas Turbine stations,” Eskom explained in a tweet.