- Dr Zwanani Titus Mathe (Pr. Eng), CEO of SANEDI, has released a plan to stop loadshedding (blackouts) in South Africa in six months.
- Currently, households and businesses in the country face up to 10 hours of blackouts daily.
- Mathe’s focus is on increasing the Eskom Energy Availability Factor as the quickest and least cost option.
Eskom Energy Availability (EAF) factor is currently around 51%. By increasing the EAF to above 70%, loadshedding will stop immediately. This is considered a low hanging fruit. By focusing on the EAF does not mean all other plans, including adding new capacity must be stopped or slowed down. In fact, the other plans must be accelerated. However, if the objective is to stop loadshedding in 6 months, then improving the EAF is the quickest and least-cost option. The big question is how to achieve this improvement in EAF from about 51% to above 70% in six months?
Mathe makes assumptions and suggest what needs to happen with a specific focus on operations. In reality, Eskom is in a utility death spiral and cannot be turned around or relied upon to end the energy crisis in South Africa in its current form. Read more
Link to Mathe’s plan here: SANEDI Plan to stop loadshedding in 6 months
The South African National Energy Development Institute (SANEDI) was established in 2011 under the National Energy Act, 2008 (Act No. 34 of 2008). The Act provides for SANEDI to direct, monitor and conduct energy research and development, promote energy research and technology innovation as well as undertake measures to promote energy efficiency throughout the economy.
SANEDI’s focus is mainly developing innovative, integrated clean energy and resource efficient solutions that aim to catalyse growth and prosperity.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
