Brace for crippling loadshedding over festive season

Mike Wills speaks with Clyde Mallinson, an energy expert and a Director at Virtual Energy and Power (VEP).

(Listen to the interview in the audio below.)

Eskom is predicting consistent rolling blackouts between December and January, with the exception of a few days.

This contradicts claims by Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who said we could expect fewer blackouts during the festive season.

A worst-case scenario involving stage four to stage six loadshedding with no relief is a possibility should there be any unplanned breakdowns.

The heat in December makes power stations more susceptible to breakdowns and overheating, which could create challenges.

The lack of consistent maintenance of South Africa’s electricity infrastructure has placed the country in a crisis situation without easy fixes, says Mallinson.

You can’t ever catch up on lost maintenance… You can fix things that broke because you did not do the maintenance, but you cannot catch up.

Clyde Mallinson, Energy Expert/Director – Virtual Energy and Power

© antonioguillem/123rf.com

He laments that, when we suffered stage six loadshedding for the first time four years ago, it was not treated as a crisis, and no alternative energy supplies were built.