Eskom has said that, although the risk of load-shedding is always there, there will be no load shedding this winter. Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe said while its energy-availability factor had increased, there had been a decline in the performance of its power stations in the last six months. Load-shedding will only happen if a national catastrophe occurs or if there is a major problem the company cannot cope with at one of its power stations, he said. The cash-stripped power utility, which usually has R20bn in cash reserves, said it only had R14bn at the moment. Hadebe said under-investment in cost-plus mines, which had an impact on the supply of coal, as well as the Tegeta mines being constrained with supply, were the reasons for the shortage of coal at the power stations. Eskom said Treasury had given it permission to source coal from outside suppliers. Hadebe said that of the seven power stations short of stock, only six had an issue now, and he was hoping that in three weeks’ time...
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