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Interventions to alleviate the negative effect of load shedding on Joburg's economy include re-instating decommissioned diesel and gas turbines and drawing more energy from Kelvin Power Station.
Together with Eskom, the City is introducing measures to alleviate the inconvenience caused by power outages
THE City is implementing short- to long-term plans to minimise the negative effects of load shedding by Eskom on residents and businesses, according to Ros Greeff, the mayoral committee member for infrastructure and services.
Speaking to councillors during a debate last week on the City's electricity supply, Greeff apologised to residents, the business community, users of public services and visitors for the inconvenience they had suffered since load shedding was introduced a few weeks ago.
She said that together with Eskom, the City was introducing measures to alleviate the inconvenience caused by power outages. This came after "a very constructive" meeting between various City departments, Eskom, City Power, eGoli Gas, the Kelvin Power Station and academics and experts from local universities.
At that meeting, on 21 January 2008, all parties agreed that short- and long-term measures had to be considered to alleviate the problem and find sustainable solutions. These include:
- Intensifying public education and awareness programmes to mobilise support from households, communities and other stakeholders, especially business;
- Improving and better co-ordinating the communication about load shedding coming from the City, City Power and Eskom;
- Accelerating demand-side management initiatives that will have an immediate and substantial effect;
- Increasing the supply capacity of local independent power producers and other co-generators, especially heavy industry; and
- Developing appropriate policies and legislation that will encourage
users to incorporate demand-side management in their operations and
businesses; this will be supported by comprehensive education and
awareness campaigns as well as incentives for compliance.
Immediate interventions
After the meeting, the City set itself the task of drawing up immediate interventions "to mitigate the negative aspects of load shedding and develop a culture of responsible power consumption", Greeff said.
The first priority, she said, was to bring certainty to load shedding by having reliable and independent schedules that were communicated effectively and timeously to residents and businesses.
"City Power and Eskom have committed themselves to such plans that will help residents and businesses to plan their daily activities and avoid, where possible, what are perceived as random cut-offs."
On top of this, the City would co-operate with large consumption customers to reduce demand on the power grid with immediate effect. Marketing campaigns aimed at encouraging residents and consumers to install energy-saving devises for lighting, air conditioning and other appliances that would reduce the demand for power, would be intensified.
Greeff said electricity cut-offs had had a major impact, especially on traffic lights. In response, critical traffic intersections had been identified that would either have backup power or be serviced by permanent traffic officers.
"This will entail the redeployment of [metro police] officers to be available at busy intersections during critical hours of the day to minimise the impact of traffic gridlock on our city's economy."
Kelvin Power Station
The City was also busy implementing medium-term interventions that would help to increase the availability of power on the Johannesburg grid. Kelvin Power Station, one of Joburg's major power suppliers, would increase its asset refurbishment and maintenance programme to meet an immediate capacity of 300MW and long-term target of 400MW.
"Eskom and Kelvin Power Station will commence formal discussions on supply and the availability of power. eGoli gas will also ensure the supply of gas critical to the re-instatement of City Power's gas turbine."
Greeff went on to say that in the short- to medium-term, over six months the City would supply 300 000 households with energy efficient light bulbs. Decommissioned diesel and gas turbines would be re-instated within six months, at a cost of R40-million. This would add about 120MW to the grid, or approximately 60 percent of the load shedding requirement the City receives from Eskom.
In the same meeting, the Democratic Alliance leader in Johannesburg, Mike Moriarty, urged the City to take urgent steps to address power outages, describing the problem as "critical".
"We need to come up with a concrete plan to end power outages. The City also needs to save and cut back on electricity usage."
This was reiterated by councillor Sol Cowan, who said the City should give incentives to people who suggested good ideas to save electricity. The availability of electricity should never be taken for granted by residents.
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