Eskom burns R8bn of diesel in two months for emergency power
Eskom is on track to surpass what it spent in the two previous financial years combined, in this financial year alone
Eskom has spent almost R8bn on diesel to power emergency generation reserves in April and May, a rate that puts it on track to surpass this fiscal year what the utility spent in the previous two fiscal years combined as it struggles with the worst load-shedding in its history.
With few other short-term solutions available, both Eskom and electricity minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa have said that the utility would have to rely on its diesel-power open-cycle gas turbines — meant to be used for emergencies or during peak demand periods — to compensate for the poor performance of its coal-fired generation fleet and ease load-shedding during the winter months...
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