Powerships could supply cheaper electricity to SA in two months - Patrick O'Driscoll

Loadshedding has returned for the first time since March this year to South Africa bringing an end to a period of stable power supply because of reduced demand during the Covid-19 lockdown. State utility, Eskom has told Reuters that it cannot say how long the new round of power cuts will last. But could the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy's plan to procure electricity from independent producers be a quicker solution to the Eskom problem?  One of the applications from an independent power supplier is from a power ship electricity supplier Karpowership. Spokesperson Patrick O'Driscoll tells BizNews that power ships could be in place on the South African coastline in months with cheaper electricity. Meanwhile Thomas Garner, the Chair of South African Independent Power Producers Association, has accused the government of dragging its feet on independent power suppliers and says Minister Gwede Mantashe appears to be anti-renewables. - Linda van Tilburg