End of Botswana deal will give Eskom's SA users a breather

Last year Eskom entered into a pact with the BPC, under which Eskom will reduce its energy supply to Botswana from 410 megawatts last year to 150MW by 2012. Andrew Etzinger, Eskom's spokesperson, said last week that the agreement would end in 2012. But this is "not to say that it will not be renewed ... Certainly, at this stage, that's what the agreement is."Tlhomaniso Selato, a BPC spokesperson, was not able to comment on the agreement.

Meanwhile, CIC Energy plans to supply power from the first 2,500MW phase of the Mmamabula station from early 2013, with full output expected in 2014. The first phase will cost $10 billion (R75 billion).