Eskom cannot afford expansion project, warns Ramokgopa
Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says Eskom needs more funds to expand the national grid.
Ramakgopa updated on efforts to ensure a steady power supply through the government's Energy Action Plan.
Earlier this month, the US Trade and Development Agency awarded Eskom a $1.3 million grant to help strengthen the country's grid.
Ramagkopa says the utility's balance sheet can't fully support the expansion project.
"The Eskom balance sheet is not in a position to finance the kind of expansion that is required both the scale and the speed which we need to respond to the needs on the transition's side.
"The Eskom balance sheet will not be sufficient to support that because we need to think creatively around what it is that we will be doing to address that."
Meanwhile, the utility says investigations are underway into the fire at the Grootvlei Power Station.
Unit 2 had to be shut down after a leak in the oil pipeline.
Meanwhile, generating units were taken offline for repairs prompting changes to this week's load shedding plan.
Stage 3 of the power cuts will continue until 4 this afternoon when it moves up a level.
