BRICS Port Alfred

A mini version of the Sydney harbour bridge in the small town of Port Alfred. Image: Danie van der Merwe/Creative Commons.

Port Alfred exempted from load shedding… because it’s hosting a BRICS workshop

Port Alfred has reportedly been granted a weeklong exemption from load shedding because a BRICS workshop is being hosted there.

BRICS Port Alfred

A mini version of the Sydney harbour bridge in the small town of Port Alfred. Image: Danie van der Merwe/Creative Commons.

Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape has been exempted from load shedding while the rest of the country endures Stage 6 power cuts because it is hosting a BRICS workshop.

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Port Alfred granted exemption from load shedding for BRICS workshop

According to energy analyst Chris Yelland’s EE Business Intelligence, the Department of Labour requested the weeklong exemption, and Eskom’s head office granted it.

The report stressed that the incident highlighted the political interference in the work of Eskom’s System Operator, which is meant to ensure the stability of the power grid. Reference was also made to how the ANC’s elective conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg, in December was also exempted from load shedding.

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The BRICS workshop on labour policy and international relations is attended by around 200 officials, most of whom are South African. It is held at the Royal St. Andrews Hotel, Spa and Conference Centre, which is equipped for power cuts with solar PV, battery storage, and standby diesel generators.

Eskom executive denies knowledge of exemption

The labour department initiated the request for the exemption – first, the request was sent to Port Alfred officials, and eventually, it was forwarded to Eskom’s head office, Megawatt Park, where it was finally authorised.

Despite bureaucratic delays, the load shedding stopped on Monday afternoon and should be held at bay until Saturday, 13 May.

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A senior executive at the Eskom organisation responsible for implementing load shedding denied knowledge of any exemption, stating that the power utility, municipalities, or other electricity providers could not exempt anyone from load shedding. However, the System Operator at Eskom National Control is authorised to allow exemptions from load shedding at national key points and events of national importance.

Yelland suggested that the BRICS workshop could hardly be considered an important event because the system operator had no prior knowledge of the event or the exemption.

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