President Cyril Ramaphosa is confident that the end of loadshedding is within reach. They attribute this to several factors including private investment in power generation, renewable energy initiatives and regulatory reforms.
The president revealed this during the 2024 State of The Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday evening in Cape Town. He highlighted several measures that are being implemented to keep the country out of darkness.
President Ramaphosa highlighted significant strides including the implementation of a debt relief package for Eskom has facilitated investments in maintenance and transmission infrastructure. They believe this is critical in ensuring the utility's sustainability.
Ramaphosa also said the revival of the renewable energy programme has led to the connection of over 2500 MW of solar and wind power to the grid, with additional projects underway. This would be equivalent to two stages of loadshedding.
Since we revived our renewable energy programme five years ago, we have connected more than 2500 MW of solar and wind power to the grid with three times this amount already in procurement or construction
The president further stated that government incentives and financial support have led to the growth of rooftop solar installations, contributing to energy diversification.
Ramphosa emphasised regulatory reforms that have facilitated private investment in electricity generation, leading to the development of over 120 new energy projects. These efforts align with global trends aimed at enhancing competitiveness and lowering energy costs.
President Ramaphosa outlined plans to further bolster South Africa's energy security by constructing 14,000 km of new transmission lines to accommodate renewable energy projects. Private investment will play a crucial role in expediting this infrastructure development through innovative investment models.
To ensure that we never face a similar crisis ever again, we are reforming our energy system to make it more competitive, sustainable and reliable in the future. We are going to build more than 14 000km of new transmission lines to accommodate renewable energy over the coming years