Power utility’s CEO is under political pressure to move to renewables
16 November 2021 - 15:35
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An electrical substation. File photo: REUTERS/GO NAKAMURA
Neva Makgetla says the problems of load-shedding may be over within a year under Eskom’s new management (“Superheroics are not the way to fix Eskom”, November 15). Yet André de Ruyter has been telling us it could take years to sort out Eskom.
The “running the plants hard” argument is also doubtful if one understands how planned and sequential maintenance works. This was done under Brian Molefe and Matshela Koko. I think De Ruyter is under political pressure to move to renewables and that is where Eskom’s focus now is, not maintenance.
Molefe and Koko were not stonewalled here, but on nuclear, which was a direct competitor to the renewables the Treasury favoured. This bolsters my argument about where the pressure on De Ruyter is really coming from — as well as powerful financial/political/media interests behind the lobbying of these renewables contracts.
Hanief Haider, Via BusinessLIVE
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Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
LETTER: Maintenance takes a back seat at Eskom
Power utility’s CEO is under political pressure to move to renewables
Neva Makgetla says the problems of load-shedding may be over within a year under Eskom’s new management (“Superheroics are not the way to fix Eskom”, November 15). Yet André de Ruyter has been telling us it could take years to sort out Eskom.
The “running the plants hard” argument is also doubtful if one understands how planned and sequential maintenance works. This was done under Brian Molefe and Matshela Koko. I think De Ruyter is under political pressure to move to renewables and that is where Eskom’s focus now is, not maintenance.
Molefe and Koko were not stonewalled here, but on nuclear, which was a direct competitor to the renewables the Treasury favoured. This bolsters my argument about where the pressure on De Ruyter is really coming from — as well as powerful financial/political/media interests behind the lobbying of these renewables contracts.
Hanief Haider, Via BusinessLIVE
JOIN THE DISCUSSION: Send us an email with your comments. Letters of more than 300 words will be edited for length. Send your letter by email to letters@businesslive.co.za. Anonymous correspondence will not be published. Writers should include a daytime telephone number.
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