Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has defended Eskom’s heavy use of diesel, saying the fuel burn is part of the utility’s plan to keep the grid stable during periods of high demand.
Responding to reports of record diesel use, Ramokgopa said the open-cycle gas turbines (“peakers”) were built for this exact purpose, to support the grid when other power stations can’t meet demand.
“We burn diesel to ensure that we support the grid,” he told reporters. “We use the peakers when we experience difficulty with the rest of the fleet and when we need to meet demand.”
Eskom’s diesel budget for 2025 is R12 billion, of which R5.8 billion was already spent by the end of August…
Eskom’s diesel budget for 2025 is R12 billion, of which R5.8 billion was already spent by the end of August, nearly half the allocation. Ramokgopa said the spike was due to higher winter demand, but emphasised it was still well below 2023’s R14 billion burn.
“Yes, it is not a secret that we experienced significant challenges around April,” he said. “But this diesel was able to support us because it is meant to support us during periods of difficulty.”
Ramokgopa said the public should not see the diesel use as a sign of crisis but as the system working as intended. “When we burn diesel, we do it because the system is under strain, and that’s exactly what it’s there for.”
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