Durban – The DA has called on other companies to join Vodacom as it works with Eskom for a solution to source 100% of its electricity demand for its South African operations from renewable independent power producers (IPPs).
DA MP and the party’s spokesperson on communications, Dianne Kohler Barnard, welcomed the decision.
“Vodacom’s move will provide it with renewable energy and provide a blueprint for other South African corporations.
“Not only will they pave the way for other network companies to do the same, but hopefully this will open the floodgates of free enterprise to similarly make a plan.
“This move will also avoid the inevitable network infrastructure breakage, caused by the increasingly high levels of load shedding,” she said.
Kohler Barnard said the move will also add electricity to the increasingly emaciated national grid, which at the same time helps South Africa in fighting the load shedding crisis.
The Mercury reported last week on the concerns raised about a looming mobile network blackout as a result of the devastating impact load shedding is having on cell towers across South Africa.
South Africa is in its second week of rolling black-outs.
Vodacom said it is in the last phase of the commercial processes to secure power purchase agreements with IPPs.
Vodacom South Africa said it is moving into the pilot phase with Eskom for a solution to source 100% of its electricity demand for its South African operations from renewable independent power producers (IPPs).
“The success of the pilot will not only provide Vodacom with renewable power, but also provide a blue-print for other South African corporates to replicate – allowing more companies to add capacity to the grid and help solve the country’s energy crisis,” said the company.
Vodacom Group CEO Shameel Joosub said this decision is a monumental move forward to assist Eskom and South Africa to solve the energy crisis.
He said the energy crisis is SA’s greatest threat to economic recovery.
Vodacom believes that the country’s energy crisis can be solved with the assistance of the private sector.
“This solution does just that, and can be fast-tracked and scaled to address the shortfall of generation capacity within two years.
“Access to reliable and low-cost energy is a fundamental requirement for any modern economy to flourish.
“Through Vodacom’s partnership with Eskom, we will be able to meet our 2025 commitments to source 100% of our electricity from renewable sources across all our operations,” said Joosub.
Vodacom also urged other large corporations to join in Eskom’s #100MWfrom100 (100 Megawatts from 100 companies) appeal by each adding an additional 100MW of private capacity to the grid.