Orania Builds Solar Power Plant to Stop Dependence on Eskom for Electricity
- Orania, the whites-only town in the Northern Cape province has started a project to be energy sufficient
- The Afrikaner town has launched the first phase of its solar power plant that allows it to keep the lights on during the day without Eskom
- The City of Ekurhuleni is also set to start building a 700MW solar plant that will ensure that it does not rely on the national grid
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ORANIA - Like many South Africans, the whites-only Afrikaner town of Orania in the Northern Cape is fed up with Eskom's failure to keep the lights on.
The controversial town is now working towards being completely energy independent and skipping the struggles of rolling blackouts.
Source: Facebook
The town has installed a 900KW solar plant and has been successfully keeping the lights on in Orania during the day, however, the town wants the lights to stay on 24/7, reports TimesLIVE.
Frans de Klerk, Orania's Development Company chief executive says the plant has been selling electricity to residents at the same fare as Eskom and it is owned by the town's council.
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The tariff revenue will be utilised to purchase storage space, allowing Orania to be independent of Eskom. The power plant is currently in the first phase.
De Klerk believes that all South African communities should be aiming to become energy self-sufficient.
City of Ekurhuleni wants to stop relying on Eskom for power
With the rest of South Africa currently experiencing loadshedding every single day this week, the City of Ekurhuleni has launched a plan to make sure that it no longer relies on the national grid for electricity.
According to BusinessTech, the city wants to invest in a solar plant that will produce 700MW of electricity. The project which was first discussed in 2016, will cost the city approximately R1 billion.
However, the project will only kick off at the end of the year.
Eskom CEO Andre De Ruyter says he’s tired of hearing loadshedding jokes, slams trolls and “Armchair critics”
Briefly News previously reported that the CEO of Eskom Andre De Ruyter slammed trolls and “armchair critics” and said the power utility has been mismanaged over the past 15 years.
He said South Africans need to accept the reality that Eskom was badly neglected and mistreated to the point of almost collapse.
De Ruyter said the organisation was completely hollowed out by corruption. During an interview with eNCA, the CEO said:
“There are many armchair critics who delight in being very clever and style themselves as energy experts, but, with respect, I don’t think they have the full appreciation of the challenge the job entails.”
Source: Briefly News
