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New project to assure S. Africa of stable electricity supply

Xinhua, July 28, 2016 Adjust font size:

South African President Jacob Zuma on Wednesday launched a new power project which will assure South Africa of stable electricity supply.

"Today, as South Africans, we stand tall and proud as we register further progress in our quest for energy security," Zuma said at the launch ceremony marking the opening of the Ingula Power Station Unit 4 in Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal Province.

The unit is a pumped storage scheme and a new national project in electricity utility Eskom's power fleet.

At a cost of 3.5 billion U.S. dollar, the construction of Ingula Power Station started in 2005. The Ingula Units 1, 2 and 3 were synchronized ahead of schedule, with Unit 3 on March 3, 2016, Unit 2 on May 21, and Unit 1 on June 16.

On completion, the power station will feed more than 1,300 megawatts to South Africa's power system. This will bring electricity to nearly 500,000 homes.

"This time last year, the country was faced by serious energy shortages. Our people were frustrated by load shedding and the future looked bleak," Zuma said, referring to constant blackouts that hit the country in 2015.

"We set out to change the situation, and we are making tremendous progress," Zuma said.

The project ensures the security of electricity supply, helps diversify the energy mix and accelerate universal access to electricity for households, he said.

"It also continues to inspire investor confidence, which will ultimately result in a more prosperous economic and social well-being for all citizens," Zuma said.

Eskom has been forging ahead to ensure improved maintenance and also to fast-track the building of infrastructure that will give South Africa much-needed energy security, said the president.

By 2021, Eskom's new build program will add close to 9,000 megawatts of new capacity to power South Africa's economic growth and development, according to Zuma.

"Access to electricity improves the quality of life of our people. We will never rest until all our people have access to water and electricity, no matter how long it takes," Zuma pledged. Enditem