Ramokgopa: Impossible to end load shedding by December
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says it's not possible to consign load shedding to history by the end of the year.
Last week ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the rolling blackouts will be a thing of the past by the end of 2023.
"Yes, I am on record that it doesn't look possible for us to end load shedding by the end of the year, and I have provided reasons. The three units (coming online at Kusile) at least are going to give about 2 400 megawatts and you add unit 5 that will be full on stream by April 2024 - it's about 3 299 megawatts."
Last week, the Transport Department said it had approved Karpowership's application for access to three ports in the country, including Durban.
READ: Karpowership gets green light to dock at three SA ports
It said the access for its gas-to-power ships was for 20 years.
Ramokgopa, who was visiting Mpumalanga's Kusile Power Plant on Monday, was asked about the deal with the Turkish company.
"I don't anticipate that it is a 20-year period. I don't think you can justify it, an emergency is exactly that; three to five years and we are able to show the amount of period it takes you to bring the renewables on board."
