DURBAN - IT COST approximately R8.5 million to keep the lights on during King Goodwill Zwelithini kaBhekuzulu’s memorial service in March this year.
Eskom suspended stage 2 load shedding between 10am and 2pm to allow the nation to mourn Zwelithini’s death.
This was revealed following a parliamentary question by DA mineral resources spokesperson Kevin Mileham. He had asked Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan how much the suspension of load shedding cost; how much diesel or combustible fuel was used during this time; on what basis was the decision made, and who took the decision to suspend load shedding.
Gordhan responded on Friday, based on information received from Eskom, saying that the system operator evaluated a request for the suspension of load shedding and concluded that it was technically possible without putting the power system at risk, and that it would not result in a higher stage of load shedding either before or after the memorial service.
Gordhan said many factors were taken into account:
The stage of load shedding before and after the service would not be increased from stage 2.
Load shedding that was being implemented was necessary to ration the remaining fuel at the pumped storage and open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) power stations.
The suspension of load shedding, for four hours, required additional generators at these power stations to be dispatched utilising additional fuel; load curtailment of industrial customers would not be suspended.
The suspension of load shedding would take place during the late morning and early afternoon when there was a reduction in demand.
The event was considered to be in the national interest and load shedding was allowed by NRS048-9, the standard that governs load shedding in South Africa.
A number of generating units were expected to return to service that afternoon and early evening.
“In order to supply the additional demand due to the suspension of load shedding, the system operator dispatched four additional OCGTs from 9.42am until 2.10pm. These OCGTs supplied 2 404MWh (approximately R8.5 million) during this period with a maximum output reaching 610MW,” Gordhan said.
Gordhan said pumped storage generation was dispatched and supplied an estimated additional 2 240MWh with a maximum additional capacity of 626MW dispatched. Between 12am and 2pm, four coal-fired generators returned to service to add 1 935MW of capacity to the system.
On Monday Mileham said: “The implications were that the state had to fork out a further R8.5 million to Eskom to keep the lights on for the memorial service.”
Mileham questioned why load shedding could not be suspended in other instances.
“Load shedding is estimated to cost the country R1 billion a day in lost revenue per stage. So if it cost R8.5m to keep the lights on for four hours, surely the benefit ratio of keeping the lights on all the time is there for all to see.”
He said questions about the country’s priorities needed to be asked. For instance, do political and cultural needs outweigh the value of the economy of an entire country?
DA shadow minister of Public Enterprises Ghaleb Cachalia said the rationale given was that the decision was taken in the national interest, but the monarchy was subsidised by the taxpayer to the tune of millions.
Daily News