Frankfort representatives and Eskom set to meet in the Johannesburg High Court over a load-shedding dispute

Eskom fights to block town from using its own solar power
Jan Vermeulen2 April 2023
At the heart of the dispute is that Eskom threatens to block Rural Maintenance from setting reduced load-shedding schedules, despite procuring additional solar power for Frankfort.

Rural Maintenance buys electricity from four solar farms in the area at a lower tariff than Eskom charges and supplies it to the Mafube municipality.

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Eskom fights to block town from using its own solar power

A town with electricity supplied by a massive solar farm is fighting for the right to impose reduced load-shedding on residents in the Johannesburg High Court this week.
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Consider -if the state has no constitutional mandate and wont take accountability or responsibility to generate and supply citizens with affordable electricity (by own admittance of the State President), how could they even try and block towns to find alternative sources of energy that are cheaper than ESKOM?

Just how audacious are they?
 
Think this is about private power producers using the Eskom grid to supply power to individuals. The private power producers get paid but Eskom does not. The grid is still owned by Eskom and needs to be maintained somehow.

A portion of the revenue would need to go to Eskom or the private power producers will have to take over maintenance and laying new cables, etc.
 
They know this will hurt their cash cow so the will use tax money to fight it. I don't believe they can win this one though and it will be good for all of us when they lose.
 
Forum Reader said:
Think this is about private power producers using the Eskom grid to supply power to individuals. The private power producers get paid but Eskom does not. The grid is still owned by Eskom and needs to be maintained somehow.

A portion of the revenue would need to go to Eskom or the private power producers will have to take over maintenance and laying new cables, etc.
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I thought their grid was privately owned?
 
Think we're missing the other half of the story.

Does the town's solar supply have storage? Or are they using Eskom as a battery?

When it's cloudy and their solar is producing nothing are they still planning to implement their reduced loadshedding schedule?
 
The distribution infrastructure in the town may be "owned" by ESKOM - but ESKOM didn't pay for it - the SA tax payer (facing high prices and load shedding) did. So its actually only entrusted to ESKOM by the tax payer.

If its an above ground supply - it will be easily replaceable. And then instruct ESKOM to remove their unused lines. As its causing a danger to the private grid that supplies and distributes electricity to the town at a cheaper rate than ESKOM can.

I hope the town wins, and a legal precedent is set for other towns to use in future.
 
DeSLAM said:
And then instruct ESKOM to remove their lines.
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I'm pretty sure it'll turn out the town is not actually so keen to say goodbye to Eskom just yet - did you notice battery storage being mentioned anywhere?
 
The main issue here is being FREE to choose your own supplier and distributor of electricity in your own town at a lower price tag - without NERSA and ESKOM interference in future. Both who are funded by the SA tax payer.

The state is only entrusted with what the SA tax payer pays for - they have no money of their own.
 
The abuse and bullying tactics of the regime towards its citizens has to end; otherwise they will try and stay employed at ANY price tag to you. Even if they contribute squat to our country's sustainable future.
 

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Dear Mafube Residents

As you are all aware, when load shedding was applied in Frankfort the town as a whole was switched off. As a result of this wholesale load shedding it created the opportunity for thieves to target the network for looting. This in spite of the nearby Solar Plant generating 3,780kW of renewable power (for a town using around 6,500KW), constructed with funds provided by community members, is available for distribution to the town and its people, provided the network remains energised.

After numerous engagements with Eskom, RFS is very pleased to announce that ESKOM is working with RFS to optimise load shedding in Frankfort on a trial basis to see how best to serve the community.

This would simply mean that instead of Eskom switching off the main switch RFS took control and divided the town into 4 different zones. There will still be Load Shedding and it will still be the same as if Eskom implements BUT the whole town will not be in the dark at the same time and the electricity generated by the solar Plants will not go wasted, hopefully in time as we gather more data, the impact of load shedding may be reduced whilst adhering to all regulations. The solar plants will therefor assist with the electricity shortfall.


See the map depicting the zones into which Frankfort has been divided for the rotational load shedding along with the load shedding schedule which will take effect as of 1 February 2023 midnight. The map and schedule is also available on our website https://drive.google.com/uc?id=1Vjqsiwk32xHsiciY6QvSFyoqF-U92LKg.


RFS has also sent a copy of the area map and schedule to all electricity users via email and social media. We also ask that community groups and residents share this information among one another so that all are aware.

We believe that like us, you are hopeful that the new changes will in time bring forth very positive results to in a small manner start alleviating some of the hardship that is caused by the energy crisis.
Yours Truly


https://www.ruralfreestate.co.za/post/frankfort-new-load-shedding-schedule
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So they likely had an agreement in place, and Eskom has now gone back on their agreement.
https://www.ruralfreestate.co.za/post/frankfort-new-load-shedding-schedule
 
konfab said:
So they likely had an agreement in place, and Eskom has now gone back on their agreement.
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Sounds more like the trial just came to an end.

After numerous engagements with Eskom, RFS is very pleased to announce that ESKOM is working with RFS to optimise load shedding in Frankfort on a trial basis to see how best to serve the community.
Click to expand...
 
Forum Reader said:
Think this is about private power producers using the Eskom grid to supply power to individuals. The private power producers get paid but Eskom does not. The grid is still owned by Eskom and needs to be maintained somehow.

A portion of the revenue would need to go to Eskom or the private power producers will have to take over maintenance and laying new cables, etc.
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Rural has their own distribution network in Frankfort. Not sure about connections from the 4 solar farms to town
 
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