Loadshedding

City Power Takes Major Step Towards Ending Load Shedding in Johannesburg

Published

9 months ago

August 29, 2023

City Power will lessen load shedding. The electricity utility provider is getting closer to this goal by securing 92MW of power from four independent power producers (IPPs) through a short-term power purchase agreement (STPPP). This initiative is part of City Power’s comprehensive 10-point plan to generate 500MW of energy by 2030, thus reducing the dependence on load shedding.

The MMC announced Environment and Infrastructure Services (EISD), Jack Sekwaila, City Power’s board chairperson, Bonolo Ramokhele, and CEO Tshifularo Mashava. The four IPPs will supply power from various sources, including waste-to-energy, gas-to-power, and photovoltaic (PV) solar generation. Including gas-to-power IPPs enables the city to generate baseload power around the clock.

Sekwaila highlighted that out of 16 bids received, four were successful, resulting in a total aggregated capacity of 92MW. These four IPPs encompass waste-to-energy (20MW), gas-to-power (31MW), and PV/solar generation (40.8MW). The gas-to-power component provides the advantage of baseload generation, ensuring a continuous power supply.

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The STPPP program allows City Power to procure excess power from IPPs with a capacity of 1MW and above. Unlike the lengthy Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), the STPPP focuses on installations with surplus capacity for improved energy security.

City Power’s pursuit of alternative energy sources is a substantial stride toward reducing reliance on Eskom. Notably, the power procured from IPPs will be more cost-effective than that acquired from Eskom. Two of the successful IPPs are ready to connect to the grid immediately.

CEO Tshifularo Mashava highlighted that this initiative is a remarkable achievement in mitigating the impacts of load shedding. Procuring cheaper power from IPPs and their immediate connection readiness can provide residents with a more stable electricity supply.

City Power is simultaneously implementing several other strategies to minimise load shedding’s effects, including installing rooftop PV systems, expanding solar high mast public lighting, introducing a small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) program, and installing rooftop water heating systems. These endeavours collectively signify City Power’s commitment to ensuring a more reliable and uninterrupted energy supply for Johannesburg’s residents.

Source: City Power announced a major milestone in its rollout of the city’s energy plans

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