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Diesel fuel isn't the right fuel for a nation grid power supply... Diesel is expensive and normally only used for small scale generation when there aren't othe

Diesel fuel isn't the right fuel for a nation grid power supply... Diesel is expensive and normally only used for small scale generation when there aren't other options. Where are the gas turbines? They're cheap, easy to install in just a few months, and can scale nearly limitlessly? They're not great for the environment, but far better than diesel. Then there is also grid scale solar/wind/hydro, which take longer to deploy and have more caveats, but work out cheaper per kWh.

liampulles 4y ago
Solar would be a great investment for us given how much sun we get. Unfortunately it was not politically expedient at the time to invest in solar (or any serious generation capacity) a decade ago, so here we are... Sigh.
_djo_ 4y ago
These aren't intended for base load at all, they're Open Cycle Gas Turbine (OCGT) stations meant to be used for short peak loads, but because of the power crisis they're being run continuously. Eskom's OCGTs are combined cycle, meaning they can run on either diesel or gas, but historically it's been cheaper and easier in terms of supply to use diesel.