Kunenhlasi yethemba ngenkinga yokushoda kukagesi ezweni. USLINDILE KHANYILE uyabika

SEKUPHINDE kwengezwa emizamweni yokuxazulula inkinga yokushoda kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika. Kuleli sonto inhlangano eyengamele ugesi iNational Energy Regulator of South Africa (iNERSA) iphasise amalayisensi ezinkampani eziyisikhombisa ezizoba ngabaphehli bakagesi abazimele.

I-NERSA kade icubungula zonke izicelo ezitholile kubaphehli ngaphansi kohlelo lwe-Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (iRMIPPPP).  

Izinkampani ezizonikezwa amalayisensi yi-Oya Energy (Pty) Ltd, Umoyilanga (Pty) Ltd, i-ACWA Power Project DAO (Pty) Ltd,  uMulilo Total Hydra Storage (Pty) Ltd, iKarpowership SA Coega (RF) (Pty) Ltd, iKarpowership SA Richards Bay (RF) (Pty) Ltd neKarpowership SA Saldanha (RF) (Pty) Ltd.

Lezi zinkampani zazimenyezelwe wuNgqongqoshe wezokuMbiwa Phansi naMandla uMnu uGwede Mantashe ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule. Nokho bekusadingeka ukuthi neNERSA ishayelele isipikili ngokukhipha amalayisensi uma igculisekile ngazo zonke izimfanelo. Le nhlangano ithe izobuye inabe ngezizathu zayo. 

Esitatimendeni esikhishwe yiKarpowership SA, ithe: “Ukuthola le layisensi yokuphehla ugesi kwiNational Energy Regulator yigxathu elimqoka kwabaqokiwe futhi kusho ukusondela ekufezeni isifiso sethu sokuhlinzeka iNingizimu Afrika ngogesi ohlanzekile nobiza kahle.” 

Ithe izibheke ngabomvu izigaba ezilandelayo nokuqhubeka nokusebenzisana neNERSA ukuze ihlinzeke izwe ngogesi elingathembela kuwo.  

Ukushoda kukagesi eNingizimu Afrika ngenye yezinselelo ezithwalise kanzima umnotho wezwe. Kusukela ngo-2008 kuba neziqubu zokucinywa kukagesi, okuphazamisa ukusebenza kwezinkampani.  

Njengamanje izidingo zezwe zikagesi zisemahlombe ka-Eskom kodwa le nkampani ephethwe wuhulumeni iyehluleka wukuhlinzeka wonke umuntu ngogesi owanele.  Ngisho nemizamo yokukulungisa loku ngokwengeza ezinye iziteshi eziphehla ugesi ayiphumelelanga njengoba kumanje iKusile neMedupi kuyiziteshi ezingasebenzi ngokuphelele. 

Kunaloko le nkampani inesikweletu sikaR401.8 billion ingxenye enkulu yaso kungenxa yokwakhiwa kweKusile neMedupi kodwa okuyiziteshi zikagesi izwe elingahlomuli lutho ngazo.

Ngokusho komnyango kaMantashe inhloso yeRMIPPPP wukwengeza kugesi ophehlwayo kanti kubhekwe ukuthi lezi zinkampani ziphehle ugesi owu-1 995MW ozotholakala esikhathini esiphakathi konyaka nezinyanga eziwu-18 kusukela ngoJulayi kulo nyaka.

Zikhona ezinye izinhlelo zokuphehla ugesi ebantwini abazimele eziqhubekayo. Usuwonke ugesi ozothengwa kubaphehli abazimele uwu-11 318MW, nokuhambisana nohlelo lokuxuba izindlela zokuphehla ugesi, i-Integrated Resource Plan yango-2019. 

Ngaphansi kohlelo iRenewable Energy Independent Power Producers (iREIPPPP) kunogesi owu-2 600MW ophehlwa ngomoya nowu-1 600MW ophehlwa ngelanga ozokhiqizwa.

Kusukela ngoDisemba wango-2020 kunezihlelo zokuphehla ugesi ngaphansi kweREIPPPP eziwu-76 eziqhubekayo okuthi uma zihlanganiswa zingakwazi ukukhiqiza ugesi owu-4 949MW. Lezi zinhleko seziphakele izwe ngogesi owu-56 206GWh kanti imali eqhamuka kubatshalimali esingenile ezweni iwuR209.7bn nemisebenzi ewu-57 236 edalekile.

Eminye imizamo yokulungisa ugesi yisinqumo sokugunyaza ukuthi izinkampani ezinamandla okuziphehlela ugesi zikwazi ukuphehla ugesi ongafinyelela ku-100MW ngaphandle kwelayisensi. Lesi yisikali esikhushulwe sisuswa ku10MW.  

Inhlangano yosomabhizinisi iBusiness Leadership South Africa yasincoma lesi sinqumo, yathi lokhu kufanele ukuthi kuhehe abatshalimali abazofaka cishe uR150bn emnothweni waseNingizimu Afrika futhi kukhiqize ugesi owu-10GW eminyakeni eyisikhombisa ezayo.