Plans by the eThekwini Municipality to reduce its reliance on Eskom for energy supply are reportedly at an advanced stage.
Durban - Plans by the eThekwini Municipality to reduce its reliance on Eskom for energy supply are reportedly at an advanced stage.
The municipality tabled a report before the Executive Committee last week calling on the city to host an Energy Transformation Summit, adding that the city’s own plans to procure 400 megawatts from suppliers other than Eskom were moving apace.
The report said Durban was already at an advanced stage in its efforts to secure a ministerial determination to procure 400mg of alternative energy from independent power producers (IPPs). It did not detail the steps taken so far and what remains to be done.
The report said the municipality, through its energy office, was planning to host the eThekwini Energy Transformation Summit, a three-day event that would cost the municipality R2.8 million.
“The overall aim of the summit is to bring awareness and provide an update to the public and private sector key role-players about the eThekwini energy transformation developments, which are anchored by the City’s Energy Transition Policy that has various strategic goals formulated to bring solutions to address the city’s energy challenges,” it said. “The summit will be a two-pronged event, with one element providing an empowerment and capacity-building platform for stakeholders in the energy sector.”
It said the second element would be a platform for exhibitors where businesses would showcase their energy solutions.
“This will be a huge opportunity for the citizens of eThekwini Municipality to understand the sector, what is available to them as consumers.”
The report said the summit was the best stakeholder activation platform to prepare the citizens of eThekwini, decision-makers and other key stakeholders for the “new dawn”.
It was “in support of the very progressive, first of its kind in South Africa Energy transition policy and the major steps that have been taken in securing the ministerial determination to secure energy from alternative sources. It is important that the hosting of the summit is supported,” said the report.
IFP councillor Mdu Nkosi, said they hoped the summit would produce results: “Ordinary people are questioning why an alternative solution has not been sought in this Eskom problem, people are suffering from all sides, we have a problem of crime and when it's dark the problem is worse and when there is an outage people’s food in fridges gets spoiled. We hope this summit is not just a talk shop.”
DA councillor Thabani Mthethwa, said it was clear the city’s economy could not rely on Eskom to meet its needs. He said the party would be keeping a close eye on any projects that might emerge, to ensure ratepayers’ money was not spent recklessly on projects the city could not afford.