POLITICS

Motraco contract running to 2025 - Minister

Barbara Hogan says SA currently exports 1,200 GWh per month

DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC ENTERPRISES
REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY

QUESTION NO.: 522

DATE OF PUBLICATION: 05 March 2010

Mr P van Dalen (DA) to ask the Minister of Public Enterprises:

(1)(a) How much electricity is exported by Eskom, (b) where is the electricity exported to, (c) at what tariff and (d) what percentage of the total available electricity is exported;

(2) whether there are any contracts in place for each of the exports; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the details of these contracts and (b) what is the (i) commencement and (ii) end dates of each contract;

(3) whether the export of electricity is prioritised over domestic supply; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?       NW636E

REPLY

 (1)(a) South Africa exports approximately 1 200GWh of power per month.

(b) Electricity is exported to utilities and end-user industrial mining customers. South Africa has firm contracts to export power to utilities in Botswana (BPC), Namibia (NamPower), Lesotho (LEC) and Swaziland (SEC). Occasionally South Africa exports power to Zimbabwe (ZESA) and Zambia (ZESCO) based on the availability of power in South Africa. This forms part of the South African Power Pool agreement and their non-firm agreements with Eskom.

Electricity is also exported to end-use industrial and mining customers namely Motraco - Aluminium smelter in Mozambique, Skorpion Zinc - Zinc mine in Namibia and Namdeb - Diamond mine in Namibia

In addition, Eskom transports power to Southern Mozambique from the Cahora Bassa scheme.  In the event of any failure on the Cahora Bassa scheme Eskom then supplies the Mozambican utility, EDM,directly.

(c) All agreements are covered by confidentiality provisions therefore we are unable to publicly disclosure these tariff levels. 

(d) Exports, which are based as a percentage of total electricity available for distribution in South Africa, were approximately 5.95% for 2009. Considering that South Africa also imports electricity from neighbouring countries, the net exports (exports less imports) for 2009 is approximately 0.73% of the total electricity available for distribution in South Africa.

(2) All exports are governed by contractual agreements

 

Types of contracts

(a)

Commencement

(b) (i)

End Dates of contract

(b)(ii)

Botswana

Firm supply contract

January 2007

2012

Namibia

Non-firm contract

July 2006

June 2017

Lesotho

Firm Supply contract

October 2006

Indefinite

Swaziland

Firm supply contract

December 2001

December 2024

Motraco

Firm supply contract

December 1997

December 2025

Skorpion

Firm supply contract

August 2000

January 2018

Namdeb

Firm supply contract

October 1986

Indefinite

(3) Exports are not prioritised over domestic supplies - all agreements are treated equitably - in line with their contractual provisions.

Issued by Parliament, April 21 2010

Click here to sign up to receive our free daily headline email newsletter