https://www.polity.org.za
Deepening Democracy through Access to Information
Home / Speeches RSS ← Back
Africa|Coal|Construction|Design|Energy|Gas|Health|Mining|Petroleum|Power|Projects|Resources|Safety|SECURITY|Solar|Storage|Maintenance|Power Generation|Products|Operations
Africa|Coal|Construction|Design|Energy|Gas|Health|Mining|Petroleum|Power|Projects|Resources|Safety|SECURITY|Solar|Storage|Maintenance|Power Generation|Products|Operations
africa|coal|construction|design|energy|gas|health|mining|petroleum|power|projects|resources|safety|security|solar|storage|maintenance|power-generation|products|operations
Close

Email this article

separate emails by commas, maximum limit of 4 addresses

Sponsored by

Close

Article Enquiry

SA: Gwede Mantashe: Address by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, update on the sectors interventions to combat the spread of Covid-19 (29/05/2020)

Close

Embed Video

SA: Gwede Mantashe: Address by Mineral Resources and Energy Minister, update on the sectors interventions to combat the spread of Covid-19 (29/05/2020)

Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe
Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe

2nd June 2020

ARTICLE ENQUIRY      SAVE THIS ARTICLE      EMAIL THIS ARTICLE

Font size: -+

President Cyril Ramaphosa announced that South Africa will move to alert level 3 of the nationwide lockdown. This will open-up the economy and remove several restrictions while government significantly expands and intensifies public health interventions.

The Department has been engaged in continuous discussions with stakeholders in the mining and energy portfolios to ensure that our collective interventions save lives and protect livelihoods.  

Advertisement

We are going through a difficult period. We are called upon to learn to live with Covid-19. We need grow the economy while, we save lives. 

In our view, Energy will be the flywheel of reviving our economy which has been severely impacted upon by the downgrades, recession and Covid-19.   

Advertisement

The measures that we have taken have been developed in line with the call by the President for government to consult and implement a riskbased strategy that will enable a phased recovery of the economy.   

Energy  

To ensure security of energy supply to society, collieries that supply Eskom continued to operate at full capacity.   

During Alert level 5 of the lockdown, we allowed refineries to continue operating at full capacity to avoid shortage of fuel. At the time, demand had collapsed due to the closing of the economy. As a result, four (4) refineries were closed.   

With the gradual opening of the economy under Alert Level 4, the demand increased sharply - resulting in low stocks of diesel. It is expected that diesel will be rationed until the end of May, when refineries that were closed start producing.   

The Department issued Directions to provide continuous supply of energy and petroleum products by allowing maintenance and construction work for energy projects to resume under strict health and safety protocols.   

These Directions apply to professional entities that provide licences, approvals and authorisations for the maintenance and construction of energy projects; all professional planning, costing and design work that supports construction work on sites, contractors and consultants who need to travel across borders to attend to projects; and energy construction work already priced and awarded government tenders.  

To give effect to SONA 2020 commitments and ensure security of energy supply post the lockdown period, the Department has: 

Published for public comments draft regulations amending electricity regulations which would enable municipalities to develop or procure own power generation 

Gazetted amendments to Schedule 2 of the Electricity Regulation Act, which provides clarity on requirements for generation for own use facilities of under 1MW

Received concurrence from the electricity regulator, NERSA, to the  Ministerial Section 34 determination on 2000MW emergency power procurement. The department is currently working on expediting this process within the prescripts of law

Awaits concurrence from NERSA on Section 34 Ministerial Determination regarding the generation options under the IRP 2019. This process will enable the opening of Bid Windows for various sources that include coal, solar, wind, gas and storage.

Mining

Under Alert level 5, collieries that supply Eskom and oil refineries were allowed to operate at full capacity. This was extended to open cast mines under Alert Level 4. Under alert level 3, all deep mining operations are expected to ramp-up to full capacity. This brings the mining industry to full capacity of production.   

Click here for full speech

EMAIL THIS ARTICLE      SAVE THIS ARTICLE ARTICLE ENQUIRY

To subscribe email subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za or click here
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Comment Guidelines

About

Polity.org.za is a product of Creamer Media.
www.creamermedia.co.za

Other Creamer Media Products include:
Engineering News
Mining Weekly
Research Channel Africa

Read more

Subscriptions

We offer a variety of subscriptions to our Magazine, Website, PDF Reports and our photo library.

Subscriptions are available via the Creamer Media Store.

View store

Advertise

Advertising on Polity.org.za is an effective way to build and consolidate a company's profile among clients and prospective clients. Email advertising@creamermedia.co.za

View options
Free daily email newsletter Register Now