In a crucial development aimed at ameliorating South Africa’s beleaguered power grid, Mozambique has announced that it will supply 100MW of electricity to its neighbouring country. The decision, which came to light in the South African capital of Pretoria on Monday, is a response to a request made by the South African government last month.
Carlos Zacarias, Mozambique’s Minister for Mineral Resources and Energy, expressed optimism about the imminent closure of the commercial agreement, which will delineate the price and logistics of the electricity supply to South Africa.
Kgosientsho Ramokgoba, South Africa’s Minister for Electricity, expressed his elation over the prompt response from the Mozambican authorities. He further stated that technical personnel are tirelessly working to ensure the feasibility of the operation.
Mr. Zacarias further made the welcome announcement that Mozambique would supply an additional 600MW of electricity within the next six months, culminating in a total supply of 1,000MW. This is poised to significantly alleviate South Africa’s ongoing energy predicament.
Hosting his Mozambican counterpart in Pretoria, Minister Ramokgoba highlighted the necessity for South Africa to seek the cooperation of its neighbours to bolster the national electricity grid.
Eric Shunmagum, a representative from Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned power utility, shed light on the importance of Mozambique’s support in ensuring a more bearable winter for the South African populace and businesses. Shunmagum noted, “We anticipated a much tougher winter but with us improving on the performance, we’re actually making up. So, if we continue on this trend, and once again I need to say keeping breakdowns to below 15,000, having sufficient diesel reserves, I think we’re good to go.”
The unreliability of South Africa’s power stations had previously cast a shadow over the country’s preparedness for the energy demands of the winter months. However, with recent reductions in power cuts, citizens have experienced a more consistent electricity supply.
Additionally, South Africa’s Cabinet has sanctioned a plan by Electricity Minister Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa to import electricity from Mozambique. During a recent Cabinet meeting, Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni announced that Mozambique would initially provide 80MW of power, with the potential to amplify this to 1,000MW in the medium term.
The added electricity supply is expected to enable Eskom to diminish load shedding by at least one stage, thus providing much-needed relief to businesses and households. Moreover, the Cabinet stressed the significance of supporting the “Winter Demand Management” campaign, initiated by the electricity minister, to promote electricity conservation and reduce pressure on the national grid.
South Africa is grappling with an acute electricity shortfall of 6,000MW, which has necessitated Stage 6 rotational load shedding to avert a collapse of the grid. The support from Mozambique is likely to be a salve for the energy-starved nation as it navigates through these challenging times.
