LETTER: Load-shedding intolerable to visitors

This is my second visit to SA in four months. Eskom’s load-shedding might be tolerable to some natives, but visiting from the UK I now regard it as intolerable. I attended a church service in Fish Hoek on Sunday and Eskom’s troubles even featured in prayers read by elderly residents.

I have grown fond of SA, and Cape Town. However, if SA is to progress economically — and attract inward investment — Eskom’s grid and capacity issues critically need fixing. The government’s target to increase the share of electricity from renewables (hydropower excluded) to 14.5% by 2030 has merit, but is it ambitious enough?

Longyuan SA’s plans may be laudable, but is progress being made? It is reported that the De Aar Wind Farm produced 3.23GW of clean electricity between 2011-2021, which sounds impressive. But more context is needed.

Cape Town has an abundance of wind. To some, wind farms are an eyesore and environmental intrusion, but surely the pendulum has swung in favour of the dire need for resilient infrastructure for SA’s society and commerce. Seeing shopkeepers not trading due to load-shedding — and no doubt factories badly affected too — tells me urgent action is needed.

Offshore wind farms could be a material solution. Offshore world experts such as Ørsted must surely be worth canvassing with, say, False Bay (and perhaps beyond Seal Island) being a pilot project.  For instance, Ørsted can access world-leading intellectual property on Suction Caisson Foundations.

I would like to spend more time in SA in the years ahead, but resilient infrastructure may become a prerequisite, as indeed it might become for other visitors and tourists. Wind for thought.

Piers Scrimshaw-Wright
Fish Hoek

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