1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Well exercise powering so many individuals' lives, but of course 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:06,960 Speaker 1: powering the country is ESCOM and all our major power 3 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:12,800 Speaker 1: stations now ew and colleague Alpha Ramushwana was out at 4 00:00:12,840 --> 00:00:16,919 Speaker 1: a much much talked about power station for many many 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: years for all the wrong reasons. But it would seem 6 00:00:19,760 --> 00:00:22,600 Speaker 1: Alpha and good afternoon too that the news coming out 7 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:26,040 Speaker 1: of the Cosilla Power Station is much better than it 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: has been over the past decade or so. President saw 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:34,560 Speaker 1: Ramapausa Electricity Minister josienso Ramu Kopper were out there today. 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:35,560 Speaker 1: What were they doing? 11 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:40,800 Speaker 2: Good afternoon, John. President sil Ramapos alongside the Minister of 12 00:00:40,840 --> 00:00:47,880 Speaker 2: Electricity visited the Cosi Powers Station in Bumalanga today and really, John, 13 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 2: this was more of a ceremonial event today to officially 14 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 2: open the power station now that six of its units, 15 00:00:55,360 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 2: all six of its units are finally back online. However, 16 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,920 Speaker 2: it became fully operational last year in September. John, So 17 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 2: it's only now that they are actually doing the unveiling 18 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 2: of the Cosilia power Station. And a little bit of 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 2: some context on this power station. It was the construction 20 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 2: started around twenty thirteen. It was initially meant to be 21 00:01:16,360 --> 00:01:21,319 Speaker 2: completed at twenty sixteen. However, due to budget trey constraints 22 00:01:21,360 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: and many other issues in the construction process, it was 23 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 2: the deadline was never met and so only last year 24 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 2: did it become one hundred percent fully operational in September 25 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:36,480 Speaker 2: with the sixth unit coming back online. So the President 26 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,120 Speaker 2: came here to celebrate that milestone that after more than 27 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: a decade, about twelve thirteen years, this power station is 28 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 2: finally operating at maximum capacity. Each of the six units 29 00:01:48,520 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 2: contributes about eight hundred megawats, meaning Costilla power Station all 30 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: in all generates four tho eight hundred megawats to the 31 00:01:56,280 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 2: national grit. It has really played a significant role john 32 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 2: in tracing the energy crisis and improving the energy availability factor, 33 00:02:04,240 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: which currently stands at just about sixty five percent. So 34 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 2: as we speak on the chimney looking station is emitting 35 00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:17,079 Speaker 2: a lot of gases and it's a sign that electricity 36 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 2: is being generated by the Costila power Station outside. 37 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: I don't know if you've been there before. I've never 38 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,880 Speaker 1: visited Cosilo, or actually I don't think I've visited any 39 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: any power stations. But I mean, I don't know how 40 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: much of a tour you got, But what sort of strike. 41 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:37,720 Speaker 1: What struck you about it? What impressed you the most? 42 00:02:39,080 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, Dot, John. We took a tour around the Cosila 43 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 2: Power Station with President's little Rama Posa today and as 44 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 2: you drive on the N four highway between Amalacheny and Pretoria, 45 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 2: really the power station is hard to miss. It's massive. 46 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 2: You can see it from kilometers away, in fact, and 47 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,720 Speaker 2: we did take a tour around some of the units. 48 00:02:58,840 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 2: Remember I said it has six of the units, John, 49 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,639 Speaker 2: I don't even know what I was looking at. Just 50 00:03:03,760 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 2: big machines which are using which I used to generate electricity, 51 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 2: and according to the officials at ESCOM, all of them 52 00:03:12,320 --> 00:03:16,799 Speaker 2: are operating as they should. However, today Unit one was 53 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,400 Speaker 2: taken offline for planned maintenance. But it's online, it's working, 54 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 2: it's generating the eight hundred megawads of electricity that it's 55 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 2: meant to generate. It really looks big and expensive. John. 56 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: You'd remember that about two hundred and thirty three billion 57 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: Rand was spent on the construction of this power station 58 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 2: and the initial projected cost was about eighty one billion Rand, 59 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 2: so the cost did balloon. But when you look at 60 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:43,720 Speaker 2: the power station itself, it's massive. It does look like 61 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,120 Speaker 2: something that is worth around two hundred and thirty three 62 00:03:46,200 --> 00:03:50,080 Speaker 2: billion rand as Big six units are currently emitting gases 63 00:03:50,200 --> 00:03:54,560 Speaker 2: into the sky, So really, for the President and ESCUM, 64 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: it's an achievement. 65 00:03:57,560 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: Yeah, a long, long, long, overdue, way way overcast, but 66 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,560 Speaker 1: once Casille got rolling, I think it's made a significant 67 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: contribution to us being able to move away from load shedding.