Molefe unveils new Eskom maintenance-sans-load-shedding operational strategy

State-owned electricity utility Eskom outlined a new operating philosophy on Wednesday with acting CEO Brian Molefe indicating that the strategy was based on finding the theoretical “sweet spot” that would enable it to conduct much-needed maintenance with “no, or minimal load-shedding”. Speaking hours before yet another load-shedding episode at a presentation hosted to outline the winter prognosis, Molefe did not promise an end to confidence- and growth-sapping rotational power cuts, the risk of which would remain for 18 to 24 months. However, he said that, with the help of government’s electricity war room, Eskom had agree on a new strategy that sought to blend the ‘keeping-the-lights-on’ policy of the past, with the more recently adopted ‘maintenance-first’ operating model.