Cape Town - As high-intensity load shedding continues, Premier Alan Winde has said that the power crisis is high on the agenda of his trip to the UK, Belgium, France and Germany in search of international investment in energy for the Western Cape.
Winde’s entourage on the European visit includes Wesgro chief executive Wrenelle Stander. Wesgro is the Western Cape’s official tourism, investment and promotion agency.
Winde said his main objective was looking for ways in which the province could enable an energy-resilient environment and trying to work out the right energy mix for the province.
In Belgium, the delegation was hosted by Hydrogen Europe which markets green hydrogen (GH2). The Western Cape, which is positioning itself as South Africa’s green economy hub, is well-positioned to produce GH2 for local use and export.
Winde said harnessing the potential of the likes of GH2 and solar energy as well as attracting more investment in this sector was a key message at discussions with Hydrogen Europe as well as with representatives of the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
In France, discussions around renewable energy were held with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and Proparco
Groupe AFD. “We must approach all solutions to this energy catastrophe with an open mind,” said Winde.
Meanwhile, Health and Wellness MEC Nomafrench Mbombo has welcomed the announcement that a further five hospitals in the province have been exempted from load shedding.
This follows an urgent media briefing last Friday by Mbombo, after the non-exemption of hospitals by Health Minister Joe Phaahla, during which Mbombo complained that the national government had “left the Western Cape behind”.
Since then, the City and Eskom have made progress in exempting more hospitals. Tygerberg, Groote Schuur and Red Cross War Memorial
Children’s hospitals were already exempted prior to the request for an additional 19 hospitals.
The others spared from load shedding are New Somerset Hospital, Mitchells’ Plain Hospital, Karl Bremer Hospital and Victoria Hospital, and in the Southern Cape, George Hospital.
Eskom said it would continue load shedding until Saturday morning. In a statement on Wednesday, Eskom said that there would be Stage 3 load shedding on Friday and this would continue until 5am on Saturday.