Cape Town - The 2010 FIFA World Cup will not be affected by the power outages currently being experienced in the country, Public Enterprises Minister Alec Erwin insisted on Friday.
Mr Erwin was briefing the media along with Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica on immediate-term, medium-term and long-term steps being taken by government to alleviate electricity demand and boosting power-generation capacity.
These present six-month, 18-month and longer-term "emergency steps to move the system out of its current state of criticality," Mr Erwin said.
"We are viewing the next two years as being critical. In this manner we plan to provide more room to manoeuvre both in this short-term period and in the important year of 2010."
At the latest Cabinet meeting, held last week, Cabinet was "fully briefed on the electricity situation as it specifically relates to the world cup and on general progress with the preparations for infrastructure for 2010", Mr Erwin told reporters.
"There is no threat to the successful holding of the event as plans to ensure electricity security in that period, and specifically for the event [the month-long soccer world cup tournament], are well advanced," Mr Erwin said.
Apart from immediate demand-side management programmes to reduce energy consumption in the immediate term, the many measures being taken over the next 18 months will show significant results by 2010.
Efficient lighting programmes, solar water heating programmes, smart metering, fuel switching (to the use of liquid petroleum gas as an energy source for, especially, cooking) and a number of other steps are all expected to result in considerable savings.
By 2010, government expects to meet the "real target" of between 2 000 and 3 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity being saved from the system, Mr Erwin said.
Other medium-term interventions will influence behaviour usage over the long, and the Electricity Regulation Act will be implemented, as being amended, to boost energy efficiency.
Ongoing price increases "to reflect the actual cost of providing electricity" of between 14 percent and 20 percent will also curtail demand.
Power rationing is on the cards too, and this will involve quotas along with a variety of incentives and penalties, the minister said.
"We must stress that the successful implementation of these programmes will give us much comfort within a two-year period," Mr Erwin said.
Government is also rolling out other measures, like solar-powered traffic lights, a pilot project for which has already proved successful in Cape Town.
This will cost about R400 million to implement and is already well underway, with the first cities being targeted for this being the nine FIFA World Cup host cities.
Back-up systems will be in place for all 10 stadia as well as the FIFA World Cup international broadcast centre.
Mr Erwin added that back-up generators for all world cup stadia are already a FIFA requirement for hosting the tournament. "The [national electricity] grid is not a back-up," he said.
Government will also take steps to ensure additional generators, if needed; to secure supply for related areas such as the areas surrounding the 10 world cup stadia.
Apart from this, other specific plans are being developed to secure supply in critical areas that are associated with 2010. Government has time to implement these steps in advance, Mr Erwin said.
And by 2010, South Africa expects to have a "far more comfortable" reserve margin, the difference between that produced and that in use at any given point, the minister said. -
Mr Erwin was briefing the media along with Minerals and Energy Minister Buyelwa Sonjica on immediate-term, medium-term and long-term steps being taken by government to alleviate electricity demand and boosting power-generation capacity.
These present six-month, 18-month and longer-term "emergency steps to move the system out of its current state of criticality," Mr Erwin said.
"We are viewing the next two years as being critical. In this manner we plan to provide more room to manoeuvre both in this short-term period and in the important year of 2010."
At the latest Cabinet meeting, held last week, Cabinet was "fully briefed on the electricity situation as it specifically relates to the world cup and on general progress with the preparations for infrastructure for 2010", Mr Erwin told reporters.
"There is no threat to the successful holding of the event as plans to ensure electricity security in that period, and specifically for the event [the month-long soccer world cup tournament], are well advanced," Mr Erwin said.
Apart from immediate demand-side management programmes to reduce energy consumption in the immediate term, the many measures being taken over the next 18 months will show significant results by 2010.
Efficient lighting programmes, solar water heating programmes, smart metering, fuel switching (to the use of liquid petroleum gas as an energy source for, especially, cooking) and a number of other steps are all expected to result in considerable savings.
By 2010, government expects to meet the "real target" of between 2 000 and 3 500 megawatts (MW) of electricity being saved from the system, Mr Erwin said.
Other medium-term interventions will influence behaviour usage over the long, and the Electricity Regulation Act will be implemented, as being amended, to boost energy efficiency.
Ongoing price increases "to reflect the actual cost of providing electricity" of between 14 percent and 20 percent will also curtail demand.
Power rationing is on the cards too, and this will involve quotas along with a variety of incentives and penalties, the minister said.
"We must stress that the successful implementation of these programmes will give us much comfort within a two-year period," Mr Erwin said.
Government is also rolling out other measures, like solar-powered traffic lights, a pilot project for which has already proved successful in Cape Town.
This will cost about R400 million to implement and is already well underway, with the first cities being targeted for this being the nine FIFA World Cup host cities.
Back-up systems will be in place for all 10 stadia as well as the FIFA World Cup international broadcast centre.
Mr Erwin added that back-up generators for all world cup stadia are already a FIFA requirement for hosting the tournament. "The [national electricity] grid is not a back-up," he said.
Government will also take steps to ensure additional generators, if needed; to secure supply for related areas such as the areas surrounding the 10 world cup stadia.
Apart from this, other specific plans are being developed to secure supply in critical areas that are associated with 2010. Government has time to implement these steps in advance, Mr Erwin said.
And by 2010, South Africa expects to have a "far more comfortable" reserve margin, the difference between that produced and that in use at any given point, the minister said. -
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