As South Africa continues to grapple with an energy crisis that threatens its economic stability, the country is seeking assistance from Russia to find a technical solution. The Minister of Electricity, Dr. Kgosientsho David Ramokgopa, revealed this during an interview with Sputnik Africa on the sidelines of the 15th BRICS Summit held in Johannesburg from August 22-24.
Highlighting Russia's technical expertise, Minister Ramokgopa acknowledged that the Russians possess some of the oldest coal-fired power stations, which continue to operate optimally and have been successfully refurbished.
"So part of our engagement with [Russian officials] is to understand how did they extend the life of those assets without increasing the emissions level and also other fuel sources," Ramokgopa told Sputnik Africa.
While the details of the discussions are yet to be finalized, the South African minister expressed gratitude for the willingness to assist from the of the delegations at the 15th BRICS Summit held in the South African city of Johannesburg on August 22-24.
Ramokgopa emphasized that South Africa is engaged in conversations with various partners, and Russia's technical solutions offer a potential pathway out of the energy crisis.
"With the Russians, it's around that technical solution that they have. They've got some of the oldest coal-fired power stations. They are still running today [at their] optimal capacity, close to their design capacity. The energy availability factor is exceptionally high. Ours is just 60%, so there's a lot we can learn from the Russians," the minister said.
South Africa, one of the continent's most developed countries, is currently struggling with an energy crisis that threatens to undermine its economic stability. The crisis has led to frequent blackouts lasting up to hours to protect the national grid from a total breakdown.
Earlier this month, the Russian Energy Ministry said in a statement that Russia and South Africa are discussing joint projects in the energy sector, including the construction of a gas power plant and supplies of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) for new generating capacities.