Lerato Mailoane
The partnership between Gauteng Provincial Government and the City Power has yielded positive outcomes with the switch on of a recommissioned open gas turbine at the Johnware power station in Fordsburg, Johannesburg on Wednesday, 17 April 2024.
The launch of the substation forms part of the provincial government's energy plan to add 100 megawatts of electricity to the grid to mitigate the impact of load shedding in Gauteng. The substation, which was renamed after the late City of Johannesburg Mayor, Mpho Moerane will generate 50 megawatts of electricity into the grid.
Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi accompanied by Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda, MMC for Environmental Services, Councillor Jack Sekwaila, City Power board Chairperson Bonolo Ramokhele and CEO Tshifularo Mashava were in attendance.
Addressing the launch, Premier Lesufi said: "Today we are demonstrating to our opponents that 18 months ago this municipality did not have 50 megawatts and today we are contributing 50 megawatts that was not there and that's the commitment that we are making. Next month we are bringing another 100 megawatts and by the next the financial year we will have added 200 to 300 megawatts that was not there...something we should have done many years ago."
He added that the launch is a demonstration that we are solving problems, and not glorifying them.
Lesufi also thanked the leadership of the City of Johannesburg municipality for their respect and praised City Power, an implementing agent of the Gauteng Energy Response Plan for repairing transformers in record time way passed the deadline.
Johannesburg Executive Mayor, Kabelo Gwamanda said Gauteng is the first province to mitigate an anomaly of loadshedding that exists only in South Africa and Gauteng is the first province to champion its mitigating strategy.
"Its been a while since the province and the City of Johannesburg have championed programmes together. This launch demonstrates that we have not forgotten who we are and our commitment to serve the people of Gauteng and achieve our goal of being a World Class African City."