Botswana Power Corporation Offers to Export Surplus Electricity to Eskom During Off-Peak Times

• South Africa will be receiving help from Botswana to tackle the ongoing electricity crisis
• Botswana Power Corporation recently stated that it has enough electricity supply to export to South Africa during off-peak times
• South Africans are not very welcoming of the news because Eskom used to export electricity to Botswana

JOHANNESBURG - Botswana has offered South Africa a helping hand regarding the country's electricity crisis and constant rolling blackouts. The neighbouring country says it is willing to supply South Africa with electricity during off-peak hours.

This comes after President Cyril Ramaphosa's state of the nation address on Monday, 25 July, to discuss the government's action plan to tackle the issues Eskom faces. Ramaphosa also called on neighbouring countries to supplement South Africa's constrained power supply.

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Since electricity cannot be stored on any scale, that won't put a constraint on generators, Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) wants Eskom to buy the off-peak supply, according to News24.

The BPC says that it has already begun talks with Eskom to buy supply generated on weekends to protect their power plants against load management fluctuations. BPC added that it wants to ensure that there is a secured market for its electricity surplus.

The Bostwana state-owned power utility further stated that it has been able to meet local power demands and it will be able to export excess supply, reports SABC News.

Professor Sampson Mamphweli, an energy analyst from Stellenbosch University Centre For Renewable, Sustainable Energy studies, says importing electricity from Botswana is a good plan because it addresses Eskom's problems at the power station level.

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Mamphweli says some technicalities need to be taken into consideration when it comes to this plan, such as Botswana can only export around 200MW of its surplus supply.

South Africans weigh in

South Africans are saddened that the country has to import electricity, considering that Eskom used to export surplus power. Some people are blaming the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, for this outcome.

Here are some comments:

JOE SKOSANA said:

"We use to supply neighbouring countries. Now they will be supplying us. Is this progress or regression?"

Mhlongo Bonga said:

"Eskom sabotagers and counter revolutionalists will be angry and attack Gov of Botswana "

James Killu said:

"The moral of the story to Dudula, is don't chase your neighbours you might beg them for power or something else tomorrow. Pravin is turning Eskom into a power beggar instead of a power producer."

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@JohanB25 said:

"And to think there was a time that excess power was exported and we had to close down 2 power stations as we had too much power generation and the ability to store it was not around."

@Mike_Astrup said:

"From exporters to importers?"

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s energy plan to purchase power from IPPs welcomed by experts

Briefly News previously reported that while most South Africans have scoffed at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s plan to end the country’s electricity crisis, energy experts believe that it might be South Africa’s saving grace to end rolling blackouts.

Ramaphosa announced on Monday, 25 July, that Eskom will be able to purchase additional energy supplies from independent power producers.

Energy expert Professor Sampson Mamphweli welcomed the president’s announcement and told SABC News that the market is “very much” ready to buy additional power from IPPs.

Source: Briefly News