The Energy Intensive Users Group of Southern Africa reiterated on Thursday that its members had several options available to alleviate South Africa’s electricity supply constraints, while warning that the risk of load-shedding would persist until new supply- and demand-side solutions were identified to create sustained reserve capacity. The EIUG, which includes mining and industrial enterprises that collectively consume about 40% of South Africa’s electrical energy, said in a statement that the options included leveraging private balance sheets to build new generation capacity. Greater collaboration between government, Eskom and business was urgently required to unlock these options, many of which fell under the direct authority of Mineral Resources and Energy Minister Gwede Mantashe. One of these, the EIUG said, included Ministerial permission for large power users to either procure power from independent power producers, or to generate their own electricity.
