Ramokgopa announced on Sunday that he plans to visit the Tutuka Power Station in Mpumalanga later this month to receive an update on the progress of returning the generating units to service, which were contributing to the current electricity capacity constraints.

Tutuka Power Station has a total installed capacity of 3,654MW, with six units capable of producing 609MW each. However, it is among Eskom's poorest performing power stations, with an average output of only 1,170MW.

At the end of the previous year, Eskom revealed its intention to decommission and repurpose three of its coal-fired power plants, including Tutuka, in line with the utility's Just Energy Transition Strategy aimed at transitioning towards green energy.

Nevertheless, Ramokgopa highlighted that the power station is still causing significant challenges for Eskom, but steps are being taken to address the issues. He mentioned that one of the initial actions taken by Bheki Nxumalo, the head of generation, was to assign Bruce Moyo, a seasoned and experienced general manager, to Tutuka. The goal is to bring a few of the units back into service by late August or early September.

Ramokgopa emphasized that Tutuka will not be closed and that all efforts will be made to return the units to operation. He also mentioned that the Energy Action Plan, designed to eliminate load shedding and achieve energy security, is progressing well despite facing obstacles.

The plan focuses on five key pillars, including improving Eskom's performance and the availability of existing supply, encouraging private investment in generation capacity, accelerating the procurement of new generation capacity from renewables and other sources, promoting rooftop solar installations, and transforming the electricity sector for long-term energy security.

Ramokgopa noted that eight actions have been completed, 20 are on track, 12 are progressing well despite delays, eight are off track, and two have not yet commenced. He pointed out that Eskom's generation fleet's performance has improved, leading to less severe load shedding than expected during the winter period.

Eskom has taken measures to enhance the utilization of Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGTs) to reduce load shedding. Additional funding has been allocated for diesel, and an expert team has been deployed to address logistical challenges in diesel supply to Ankerlig.

Ramokgopa mentioned that regulatory changes have resulted in a pipeline of over 100 private sector generation projects with more than 10GW of new capacity. These projects will begin connecting to the grid this year. Furthermore, Eskom has introduced mechanisms such as the Standard Offer Programme and Emergency Generation Programme to purchase power from companies with surplus capacity, unlocking 400MW of immediately available power, with an additional 600MW in the contracting process.