Eskom is heading to court to challenge the energy regulator’s (NERSA) decision to approve competition.
Daphne Mokwena, Eskom Spokesperson, said NERSA (energy regulator of electricity, piped gas and petroleum pipelines industries) granted trading licences in the national utility’s area of supply, which is a breach to own rules.
On Tuesday this week, NERSA approved suppliers of piped gas, as well as electricity trading licences.
Eskom also presented its application for a license to operate a generation facility, the Sere Solar PV power plant, as well as another for Lethabo Solar PV.
Others requesting generation licences are AGV Projects, while trading licence applicants are Discovery Green, Green Electron Market, CBI Electric Apollo and GreenCo Power Services.
Lion Thorn Solar (Pty) Ltd also applied for the registration of a distribution facility.
Eskom said the trading licences were approved without the necessary trading rules for the industry being developed, a point acknowledged by the Regulator members during their deliberations.
“The decision by the Regulator, according to Eskom, infringes upon and breaches NERSA’s own rules and the licences issued to Eskom by NERSA.
Eskom disagrees with this decision and has instructed its attorneys to initiate legal proceedings in the High Court.
Mokwena said Eskom, like all other participants in the electricity industry, operates based on established rules and subscribes to a rule-based transition.
She said “this adherence to the rules has been misinterpreted as anti-competitive behaviour, which Eskom firmly denies.”