Ramokgopa blames procurement for Kendal’s poor performance

Procurement and regulation issues are blamed for the poor performance of the Kendal Power Station in Ogies, Mpumalanga. Electricity and Energy Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa visited the station a few days after power utility Eskom implemented load shedding. Ramokgopa visited the station to assess its current performance level amongst others and expressed disappointment with the performance of some stations in the country. Kendal Power Station was one of the best performing power stations. In the last five months, the station had been performing at over 80 percent capacity. It has since dropped to 52 percent, with procurement challenges amongst others being blamed for the latest dismal performance.

“We dropped the ball…then talking about procurement,” says Ramokgopa In recent weeks, the country had been plunged into darkness due to this and other issues. And according to the minister, the country is not out of the woods as yet. “We can’t say there will be no load shedding,” Ramokgopa added. With winter fast approaching, the power utility is ramping up maintenance.

“In April, we will announce the winter plans,” says Eskom CEO Dan Marokane. The minister is expected to visit other underperforming power stations to ensure reliability and stability in energy supply. Security remains tight at the Kendal Station.