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South Africa hopes to ease crippling blackouts as major power station recovers_我的网站

A |     JOHANNESBURG -- South African officials are hoping that the gradual recovery of one of the country's biggest coal-fired power stations will reduce crippling power blackouts.At least two units at the Kusile power station have been restored in the last three weeks, adding 1,600 megawatts to the national grid and reducing the rolling power blackouts, which can last up to 12 hours a day.The units have been out of service since they broke down in October last year, contributing significantly to the blackouts, known in South Africa as loadshedding.The two units were restored nearly two months ahead of schedule and two more are expected to be brought back online before the end of the year, officials said.While the full recovery of the power station is unlikely to end all power blackouts, it is seen as a significant step toward resolving the power crisis that has severely affected households and the country’s economy.The Kusile power station has six generating units capable of producing 800 megawatts each, making it one of the biggest coal-fired power stations in the world with a total capacity of 4,800 megawatts of electricity.“Both units are adding 1,600 megawatts back into the grid, thereby improving the available generation capacity. This signifies that Eskom is on the right path to reducing and ultimately ending loadshedding,” Daphne Mokwena, spokesperson for power utility Eskom, said Tuesday.The government remains under pressure to bring Kusile and another power station, Medupi, up to full operation. Construction delays, cost overruns and allegations of corruption have besieged both power stations since their construction began in 2007.South Africa has committed to a transition from a heavy reliance on coal for electricity generation to cleaner sources including solar, wind and battery storage. The transition has secured funding pledges of up to $8.5 billion from France, the U.K, Germany, the U.S. and the European Union.However, the country's electricity crisis has led the government to consider prolonging the lifespan of its aging power stations.The country has also launched a program to secure additional electricity from neighboring countries.。    The government of Venezuela is set to offer stakes in the state-owned Banco de Venezuela and telecom service provider CANTV in the coming weeks, it’s being reported.,Announcing the Banco de Venezuela public offering at a news conference in June, Vice President Delcy Rodriguez said the move would “give impetus to the national stock market” and “open the doors” of the enterprises “to national and international investors in local currency or foreign currency.”,“I think an important time has come for the Venezuelan Stock Market,” she said, stressing that while Venezuelans are “taking the first step with the Bank of Venezuela… the telecommunications company CANTV is coming soon.”,The public offering is the latest in a series of moves by authorities in the Caribbean nation to correct the course of their ailing economy. In late July, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro signed a law designating a number of Special Economic Zones in the country, with an eye towards ultimately transcending “the oil rentier model.”,Venezuela has been plagued for years by shortages, extreme inflation, and other serious issues caused in large part by Washington’s unilateral sanctions regime aimed at crippling the country’s economy.,To make matters worse, last week, the British Supreme Court ruled that approximately $2 billion in Venezuelan gold that’s currently being held in the Bank of England belongs to opposition leader Juan Guaido, rather than the elected government.,Maduro’s administration has indicated it will appeal the decision, but it seems unlikely that authorities in Caracas will prevail, especially given the UK’s extensive history of plotting against the Venezuelan government.,While intermittent power outages continue to interfere with oil exports, there are growing signs that Venezuela may have finally turned the corner financially and could soon stand on its own feet once again. Earlier this year, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean forecast that the economy will grow by 5.0% this year – the highest in all of South America.,The normalization of ties with Colombia’s incoming Gustavo Petro administration will also provide ample opportunities for increased income and reduced military expenditures. Business groups on both sides of the Colombia-Venezuela border say its planned reopening – which could come as soon as this week – should provide around $1.2 billion in trade by the end of the year.。

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