Questions & Replies: Energy
2014-03-03
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Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2848
2848. Ms N W A Michael (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Has her department conducted (a) research and/or (b) investigated the possibility of implementing energy efficiency measures to current power stations rather than expanding the energy generation capacity through the proposed 9 600 MW nuclear build programme; if not, why not; if so, what were the results of such (i) research and/or (ii) investigations? NW3490E
Reply
The Department received the question, reviewed its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropriate respondent should be the
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2844
2844. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Is her department fast-tracking the (a) creation and (b) implementation of the transmission service operator; if not, why not; if so, what are the details of the process? NW3486E
Reply
a) No.
b) While the discussions are taking place regarding end state of the electricity supply industry and taking into account Eskom's operational circumstances, it would be premature to already create a transmission service provider yet.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2830
2830. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Whether, with regard to the Nuclear Framework Agreements signed with different countries for the procurement of 9 600 MW nuclear generating capacity, she will provide a timeline detailing the exact date when (a) each framework agreement will be made public, (b) the tender process for the nuclear build programme will start, and (c) she will discuss the nuclear build programme tender process in Parliament? NW3472E
Reply:
(a) The Agreements will be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration and thereafter be tabled in Parliament for deliberation by both houses of Parliament. The submission to Cabinet will be made after the Nuclear Framework Agreements have considered by Energy Security Cabinet Subcommittee at an appropriate time.
(b) The decision on the type of nuclear procurement will be approved by Cabinet. This decision has not been made yet. Therefore the exact date to start nuclear new build programme procurement will be announced after Cabinet approval of the nuclear procurement.
(c) The nuclear procurement process, strategies and plan will be submitted to Cabinet for approval and thereafter be tabled in Parliament for deliberation by both houses of Parliament at an appropriate time.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2829
2829. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) What is the status of the Independent System and Market Operator Bill [B9-2012] and (b) when will the specified Bill be brought back to Parliament for discussion? NW3471E
Reply
a) The ISMO Bill was submitted and deliberated over by the previous Parliament. Several concerns were raised regarding the impact on Eskom and the Bill never served before the National Assembly.
b) The ISMO Bill is currently being considered and after further stakeholder consultation a discussion will be made.
Reply received: November 2014'
National Assembly Question : 2797
2797. Mr B H Holomisa (UDM) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether the alleged nuclear power agreement with Russia was approved by the State Law Advisor; if so, when;
(2) whether the State Law Advisor wrote a memorandum to the Office of the Presidency on the alleged agreement; if so, what are the relevant details of the memorandum;
(3) whether there is a legal basis upon which she relies for keeping the country-to-country agreements classified;
(4) whether Parliament will be given details of the alleged agreement and the process that will follow; if not, why not; if so, when? NW3452E
Reply:
(1) Yes, 20 November 2013
(2) Yes, 22 November 2013
(3) The Department of Energy is still negotiating agreements with other countries in preparation for procurement process. The release of the Agreement for South Africa with Russia would jeopardise or compromise the delicate process of negotiations which is still on going with other countries pertaining to the nuclear new build programme.
(4) The Agreement will be submitted to the Cabinet for consideration and thereafter be tabled in Parliament for deliberation by both houses of Parliament
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2789
2789. Ms T E Baker (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether she received an invitation to the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia; if so,
(2) whether she attended any of the wedding festivities between 30 April 3 May 2013; if so,
(3) whether she stayed overnight at the venue; if so, (a) what accommodation did she use, (b) who paid for the said accommodation, (c) what mode of transport did she use to attend the wedding festivities and (d) who paid for the travel costs? NW3441E
Reply
The Minister did not attend the wedding of Vega Gupta and Aakash Jahajgarhia
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2748
2748. Mr M H Hoosen (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Did (a) her department and/or (b) any of its entities owe money to any Gauteng municipalities at the end of the 2013-14 financial year; if so, in respect of each specified municipality (i) what is the name of the municipality, (ii) what was the total amount owed, (iii) what was the nature of the debt, (iv) for how long has the debt been outstanding and (v) what plans are in place to recover the debt owed to the municipality by (aa) her department and/or (bb) any of its entities? NW3397E
Reply:
The Department of Energy does not have municipal accounts registered under its name with any municipality in Gauteng Province. A lease agreement was signed with Department of Public Works to lease office accommodation in National Office: Pretoria. In terms of the lease agreement the accounts for municipal services are paid directly to the Municipality by Department of Public Works and thereafter claimed as a direct charge from Department of Energy.
(a) N/A
| Entity | (b) Any of its entities owe money to any Gauteng municipalities at the end of the 2013-14 financial year; | (i) Name of the Municipality | (ii) Total amount owed | (iii)Nature of debt | (iv) How long has the debt been outstanding | (v) Plans to recover the debt owed to the mununicipality |
| NNR | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| CEF | Yes | City of Johannesburg | R20 131.52 | Property rates & refuse | 30 days | Payment done on due date |
| NECSA | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SANEDI | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| NERSA | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| NRWDI | No | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
(bb) N/A
(cc) N/A
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2611
2611. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
What amount has her department spent on promotional magazines in the (a) 2011-12, (b) 2012-13 and (c) 2013-14 financial years? NW3249E
Reply:
Below are the details of funds spent by the Department of Energy on Promotional Magazines
| Financial year | Promotional magazines | Amount (Rands) | |
| (a) | 2011/2012 | Sawubona Magazine & BBQ Magazine | 128, 100 |
| (b) | 2012/2013 | Global Africa Network, Africa Decisions & New Agenda Magazine | 96, 351 |
| (c) | 2013/2014 | SADC Gov page & Energy Forecast | 96, 494 |
| Total | 320, 945 |
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2531
2531. Mr B H Holomisa (UDM) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether, with respect to nuclear energy power, the Government has taken a decision that South Africa will build up to 9.6 gigawatt of nuclear power; if so, what are the relevant details;
(2) whether a decision has been taken to review and change the South African nuclear policy of 2008; if so, what are the relevant details;
(3) whether she requested the National Treasury to do an economic assessment of this decision before it was taken; if so, what are the detailed outcomes of the assessment? NW3123E
Reply:
(1) Government took a decision that South Africa will build the 9.6GW of nuclear power when Cabinet approved the Integrated Resource Plan 2010-2030 in March 2011. The Department of Energy is therefore implementing this Cabinet decision to prepare for the rollout of the nuclear new build programme.
(2) No
(3) The Cabinet approved IRP2010-2030 was consulted extensively with relevant Government Departments including National Treasury. As part of implementing the IRP2010-2030, the Department of Energy is part of the Energy Security Cabinet Committee. National Treasury is part of this committee.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2523
2523. Mr C Mackenzie (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Is power still being derived from the Cahora Bassa Apollo HVDC power line; if so, (a) what is the amount of such power on an average basis, (b) are both feed poles in full operation and (c) is reliance being placed only on one pole? NW3121E
Reply
Yes, Eskom continues to receive power from the Cahora Bassa Apollo HVDC scheme.
a) The average power delivered during the financial period to date i.e. April to October 2014 was 1250MW, whereas the average for the month of October 2014 was 1470 MW.
b) Both poles are in full operation.
c) Reliance is placed on both poles
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2467
2467. Mr A M Figlan (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
How many work days has her department lost to (a) sick leave and (b) strike action in the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years? NW3060E
Reply:
The number of workdays lost due to (a) sick leave for the period is as follows:
(i) 2011-12 - Total number of 2375 days
(ii) 2012-13 - Total number of 2381 days; and
(iii) 2013-14 - Total number of 2871 days.
The number of workdays lost due to (b) strike action for the same period is none.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2433
2433. Mr. A G Whitfield (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) What was the total remuneration of (i) board members, (ii) nonexecutive directors and (iii) executive directors of each entity reporting to her in the (aa) 2011-12, (bb) 2012-13 and (cc) 2013-14 financial years and (b) how many times did each board meet in the specified financial years? NW3026E
Reply:
The remuneration of board members, non-executive directors and executive directors of all entities reporting to the Department of Energy is tabled to Parliament, as per requirement, in our annual reports.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2354
2354. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) With regard to her department meeting with nuclear scientists at the end of October 2014 in the Drakensberg, (a) what was discussed at this meeting and (b) why was the meeting not held in public;
(2) whether her department paid for the meeting; if so, (a) what was the cost of this meeting and (b) has there been any further agreement with Rosatom;
(3) will other countries that have submitted bids be given the same opportunities, such as this unpublicised conference, to make their proposals to the department? NW2942E
Reply:
1 (a) nuclear vendor technology offerings to demonstrate how they propose meet South Africa's needs
(b) The meeting was not held in public in order not compromise the vendor confidential information. It should be indicated that during the vendor parade workshop, delegates of the Russian Federation openly shared information without restriction, and it remains the responsibility of the Department to ensure that such confidential information that form part of their intellectual property is not compromised by being release to the general public.
2 (a) The Department paid for the meeting. The cost of this meeting will be included in the annual financial report for the Department
(b) No
3. There is no bidding process underway. Therefore no country has submitted the bids. The Department is preparing for the procurement phase. In its media statement of the 23rd October 2014, the Department indicated that vendor parade workshops will be held with other vendor countries that South Africa has Inter-Governmental Framework Agreements with, such as France, China, United States of America, South Korea and Japan, pending their confirmation of readiness to participate.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2353
2353. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) Will the workshops with the nuclear vendor countries that were announced by her department on 18 October 2014, also be open to Members of Parliament to attend and (b) will the documents presented in these workshops be submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Energy to scrutinise; if not, why not in each case? NW2941E
Reply:
(a) No. The workshops with vendor countries will not be open to members of Parliament to attend. The vendor parade workshops will only be open to invited Government officials and nuclear experts, State Owned Entities nuclear experts and Academia experts. These experts will produce government reports for the vendor parade workshops.
(b) No. The documents presented at these workshops will not be submitted to the Portfolio Committee on Energy to scrutinize. These documents will be treated confidentially to protect the vendor proprietary information that will be shared with Department in these workshops.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2352
2352. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
With regard to the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update which explicitly states that the nuclear procurement programme must be abandoned if the installed price is more than U$6500 per kilowatt, (a) will the Government be sticking to this recommendation and (b) has the Government also set a threshold price per kilowatt hour if the decision is taken to favour a Build Own Operate model of procurement; if so, what is that threshold price per kilowatt hour? NW2940E
REPLY
(a) No. The Department of Energy is implementing the nuclear new build programme in line with the Cabinet approved Integrated Resource Plan 2010-2030, that has stipulated that 9.6GW nuclear power will form part of energy mix. The final installed price per kilowatt will be negotiated during the nuclear procurement process.
The Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) update has not been approved by Cabinet. Therefore Government will not abandon the nuclear new build programme based on recommendations of this draft document.
(b) No. The nuclear procurement process has not started. No decision has been taken in favor of the model for procurement.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2340
2340. Mr E J Marais (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) In the (i) 2011-12, (ii) 2012-13 and (iii) 2013-14 financial years, (aa) how many times has her department received a request from the SA Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) in accordance with section 184(3) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, to provide a report on measures taken by her department towards the realisation of the rights in the Bill of Rights concerning housing, health care, food, water, social security, education and the environment and (bb) how many times did her department submit such a report to the SAHRC in this regard and (b) in each case, was the report (i) made readily available to the public or (ii) tabled in Parliament? NW2926E
Reply:
a) (i)(ii)(iii)(aa) Our records indicate that no requests for reports on Section 184 (3) were received in the 2011/12, 2012/13 and 2013/24 financial years.
b) (i) and (ii) refer to the above
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2223
2223. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
a) When will the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) be revised in line with the findings of the IRP update that was published in November 2013;
b) What are the reasons for the delay in the revision of the 2010 IRP? NW2767E
Reply
a) Once the consultation process has been completed with the various government departments, the IRP will be taken through the necessary approval process before being published.
b) The interdepartmental consultation process, including considerations regarding air quality regulations, greenhouse gas limits, demand projections, updated costs and alignment with the Integrated Energy Plan, have led to the delay. Notwithstanding this, the IRP update will form part of the Energy Master Plan that integrates all the other sector plans including Energy Efficiency Action Plan, Gas Utilization Master Plan and the Liquid Fuels Roadmap.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2222
2222. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
a) When will the Gas Utilisation Master Plan be published for public comments; and
b) What are the reasons for the delay in its publication? NW2766E
Reply
a) The Phase 1 Report will be published for public comments before the end of the year.
b) The delay was due to the alignment with other plans.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2221
2221. Mr S J Masango (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
a) When will a procurement process be instituted for co-generation projects; and
b) What are the reasons why such a procurement process has been delayed for so many years given our present energy crisis? NW2765E
Reply
a) It is expected that the final procurement documents will be released to the market by the first quarter of 2015.
b) The consultation process took longer than anticipated, in order to align with the Biofuels Mandatory Blending Framework, which targets the same sectors. We are currently in the process of finalizing the consultation process with stakeholders such as NERSA, Eskom, Departments of Water and Sanitation, Environmental Affairs, who are expected to play a vital role in the process.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2219
2219. Mr S J Masango (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Has her department done any studies into possible shortages of coal supply to Eskom's power stations in Mpumalanga over the next few years; if so, what solutions have been proposed to prevent such shortages from occurring? NW2763E
Reply
The Department received the question, reviewed its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropriate respondent should be Department of Public Enterprises.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 2077
Mr S J Masango (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) How many copies of her department's annual report for the (i) 2012-13 and (ii) 2013-14 financial years were produced and (b)(i) at what cost were these reports produced and (ii) to whom were these reports circulated? NW2544E
Reply:
(a) (i) 2012/13-200 Copies
(ii) R270, 755.93
(iii) 60 Reports was circulated to the Parliament Portfolio Committee 10- Ministry Office in Cape Town
10- Director-General's Office in Cape Town
11- Auditor-general of South Africa
5- National Treasury
12- State Owned Entities
2- Department of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation
9 Provincial Libraries
The rest to the Department of Energy Executive and Senior Managers.
(b) (i) 2013/14-200 Copies R272,142.29
(ii) R272, 142.29
(iii) 60 Reports was circulated to the Parliament Portfolio Committee 10- Ministry Office in Cape Town
10- Director-General's Office in Cape Town
11- Auditor-general of South Africa
5- National Treasury
12- State Owned Entities
2- Department of Performance, Monitoring and Evaluation
9- Provincial Libraries
The rest to the Department of Energy Executive and Senior Managers.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1956
1956. Mr C H H Hunsinger (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
How is aviation fuel regulated in terms of (a) transportation, (b) price, (c) stockpiling and (d) the sale? NW2339E
Reply:
(a) The transportation of aviation fuel via pipelines is regulated in terms of the Petroleum Pipelines Act, 2003 (Act No. 60 of 2003). Road transportation is handled in terms of various prescripts governing the transportation of dangerous goods.
(b) The price of aviation fuel is not regulated.
(c) The major airport operators are responsible for ensuring adequate stockpiles are kept by the suppliers within the precinct of the airports under their respective jurisdiction. The Department of Energy monitors the stockpiles at major airports.
(d) The sale of aviation fuel is regulated in terms of the Petroleum Products Act, 1977 (Act No. 120 of 1977) as amended; the Regulations regarding Petroleum Products Wholesale Licenses, 2006 and Regulations regarding Petroleum Manufacturing Licenses, 2006.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1937
1937. Mr D C Ross (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Does she intend to increase electricity prices in order to fund the construction of new nuclear facilities; if so, (a) when will these increases begin and (b) what will the rates be? NW2320E
Reply:
The Minister is not responsible for determining the electricity prices.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1929
1929. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) With regard to the National Nuclear Energy Executive Coordinating Committee, (a) what role did the specified committee play in the nuclear procurement process with a certain company (name furnished), (b) how many companies bid for this tender, (c) what are the names of each of these companies, (d) why was the specified company's bid successful and (e) why were the other companies unsuccessful;
(2) (a) when was this tender for nuclear reactors advertised and (b) where was this advertised? NW2311E
Reply:
1 (a) There has not been any nuclear procurement process with any company.
(b) N/A
(c) N/A
(d) N/A
(e) N/A
2(a) N/A
(b) N/A
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1928
1928. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
With regard to her department's estimates of national expenditure published alongside the current budget, why did her department not make financial provision for forthcoming nuclear procurement decisions? NW2310E
Reply:
The Department could not make financial provision for the forthcoming nuclear procurement decisions because it still had to review the nuclear policy, develop a funding mechanism and take strategic decisions regarding the nuclear build programme.
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1927
1927. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) With reference to the reply of the former Minister of Energy to question 132 on 6 March 2014, has an agreement on nuclear cooperation been signed with Russia; if so, (a) when was it signed and (b) does the agreement contain a clause that any third party wishing to do any nuclear-related business with the Government needs approval from Russia;
(2) will she table a copy of the (a) draft and (b) final agreement in Parliament; if not, why not; if so, when? NW2309E
Reply:
1. (a) Yes, the agreement was signed 21 September 2014, on the margin of the IAEA 58th General Conference.
(b) No
2. (a) No
(b) Yes
This will only happen after this agreement has been considered by Energy Security Cabinet sub-committee
Reply received: November 2014
National Assembly Question : 1925
1925. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) With reference to the reply to question 2004 on 8 October 2013, (a) how many times did (i) she meet with employees of a certain company (name furnished) since 1 January 2014 and (ii) the former Minister of Energy meet with employees of specified company since 1 January 2013, (b) what was discussed at each meeting, (c) when was each meeting held and (d) where was each meeting held;
(2) (a) what was the total cost of each meeting, (b) what is the detailed breakdown of the costs involved and (c) who paid for each item respectively? NW2307E
Reply:
1(i) The Minister met once with Director General of Rosatom (b) The meeting discussed areas of cooperation between South Africa and Russia
(c) Meeting held on 21 September 2014 on sideline of IAEA 58th General Conference to sign Agreement
(d) Meeting was held in Vienna
2(a) the cost will be included in the Department of Energy annual report
(b) See (2a)
(c) The Department
Reply received: October 2014
National Assembly Question : 1755
1755. Prof N M Khubisa (NFP) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) Which specific (i) district or (ii) local municipality will her department prioritise with regard to electricity supply and (b) will her department be partnering with the Departments of (i) Public Enterprises and/or (ii) Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details of such a partnership? NW2125E
Reply:
(a)(i)The Department prioritized all the districts to address the issues of service delivery backlogs, (ii) funds get disbursed to the local municipalities and Eskom to rollout electrification programme in line with application from both entities and are published in the Division of Revenue Act annually. (b)(ii) Department involves all the sector Departments including National Treasury, CoGTA, Dept of Human Settlement, Dept of Public Enterprises to roll-out the infrastructure projects (ii) The Department together with CoGTA through MISA conduct monitoring and evaluation, as well as municipality capacity building to all the municipalities that require assistance to execute electrification projects.
Reply received: October 2014
National Assembly Question : 1732
1732. Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Energy:†
(1) How does her department intend to (i) bring its project to build nuclear power stations in line with the Government's integrated power plan, (b) finance the project and (c) address the lack of suitable human resources;
(2) how will the Government ensure that South Africa will meet its international obligation not to make nuclear technology available to so-called polecat states (names furnished), in the light of the Government's good relations with these two specified countries? NW2096E
Reply:
(a) The Department of Energy is planning to rollout the nuclear build programme through the development of strategies to address all aspects of the nuclear value chain. The nuclear power build programme is aligned to achieve the targets of the cabinet as endorsed by the Integrated Resource Plan 2010-2030, that is ensure 9.6GWe of nuclear power into the generation mix. In line with IRP, the first plant will be commissioned by 2023/2024 and last plant commissioned by 2030.
(b) The Financing strategy that deals with various financing options is currently at an advanced stage of development by the Department of Energy, in conjunction with several other key Departments such as National Treasury, and Department of Public Enterprises.
(c) The country has sufficient human resources to deal with existing programme. However, the Department of Energy working with other Departments such Trade and Industry and Science and Technology, Department of Public Enterprises has developed a National skills development strategy that is at an advanced stage in order to address any potential future lack of human resources for the nuclear programme.
(2). Transfer of nuclear technology in South Africa is administered and controlled in terms of the national and international obligations (Nuclear Energy Act, Non-Proliferation Treaty, Pelindaba Treaty). To transfer the Technology an application is lodged with the Department of Energy and it is evaluated in accordance with the Legislation and International Obligations.
Reply received: October 2014
National Assembly Question : 1640
1640. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) Which posts in her department are vacant in the (i) highly skilled, (ii) highly skilled supervision and (iii) senior and top management levels and (b) in each case, what has been the duration of the vacancy? NW2001E
Reply:
(a)There are currently 59 vacant posts in the Department of which
(i) 20 are highly skilled,
(ii) 27 highly skilled supervision and 9 are Senior and top management (SMS)
(b) the duration in each case is:-
(i) an average of 3 months on highly skilled positions,
(ii) 4 months on highly skilled supervision (with the exception of 4 Deputy Director posts that are still having grievances).
(iii) 3 months for senior and top management.
Reply received: October 2014
National Assembly Question : 1586
1586. Mr R A Lees (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Has her department determined the (a) future price path of electricity and (b) necessary price increases that will be required to pay for the proposed new build projects currently contained within the 2010 Integrated Resource Plan? NW1640E
Reply:
a) IRP2010 gives an indication of the impact of the different technology choices (or the new build programme) on the expected price path. The technologies under IRP2010 include coal, gas, nuclear, imported hydro, renewables and energy efficiency interventions. Whilst this has already been indicated in the promulgated IRP2010, further work is being done to update the price path based on a new range of financial parameters, including different discount rates, updated capital and operational costs for the different technologies.
b) Once this has been completed, considerations will be had about the necessary price path, to determine what the future tariff increases should be over the medium and long term.
Reply received: September 2014
National Assembly Question : 1192
Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether (a) she and (b) the Deputy Minister has each employed a ministerial special advisor; if so,
(2) (a) what is the name of the special advisor, (b) when was the advisor appointed, (c) what are the duties of the advisor, (d) at what post level was the appointment made, (e) what is the salary level of the advisor, (f) what is the duration of the employment contract entered into with the advisor and (g) why was it necessary to appoint the advisor? NW1430E
Reply :
1. Yes. The Minister has appointed two special advisers, in accordance with the Ministerial Handbook. There is no provision for the appointment of a Special Adviser by the Deputy Minister.
2. a) The Special Advisers are Mr LSD Thobejane and Mr G Lucas.
b) June 2014.
c) The duties, post and salary levels and duration of the employment contracts are in line with the provisions of the Ministerial Handbook and other applicable prescripts.
d) To provide relevant advice to the Minister.
Reply received: August 2014
National Assembly Question : 927
927. Mrs C Dudley (ACDP) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether, in view of the court action launched against Valputs Test Smelter certain nuclear test smelter (name and details furnished), the specified smelter and another two induction smelters are operational at present;
(2) whether any safer options were considered in place of these smelters that were constructed after the approved period lapsed;
(3) will the SA Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) halt work at the smelter plants until authorisation conditions are met as envisaged through the court action;
(4) will Necsa and the NNR ensure that residents and those working in the area just outside the highly populated Tshwane metropole are fully informed of all related information and their constitutional rights through efforts? NW1018E
Reply:
1) None of the abovementioned smelters are operational.
2) Not applicable.
3) Not applicable.
4) Not applicable.
Reply received: September 2014
National Assembly Question : 926
Mrs C Dudley (ACDP) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether she has found that reports that the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (Necsa) and the National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) plan to use smelters at Pelindaba for commercial operations are true;
(2) whether the reference to commercial operations means the importation of radioactive waste for smelting and release into the South African market;
(3) whether consideration has been given to the risk of radioactive metal products finding their way into homes, schools and places of work;
(4) whether her department intends to institute a full inquiry into the general state of the existing nuclear industry in South Africa to satisfy the many concerns of the general public? NW1017E
Reply:
(1) The reports are factually incorrect and therefore not true.
(2) The smelter was not licensed for commercial operations.
(3) Necsa submitted a full Safety Assessment Report to the National Nuclear Regulator to ensure that issues pertaining to the safety and protection of people and the environment are fully considered.
(4) The Department conducted several reviews of the nuclear infrastructure as indicated in the annual performance plan and strategic plan.
Reply received: August 2014
National Assembly Question : 833
833. Mr. C H H Hunsinger (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
What is the current average retail price at which a domestic marine operator buys bunker fuel? NW920E
Reply:
The Department of Energy does not regulate or control the prices of bunker fuel.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 815
815. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Whether (a) she, (b) the Deputy Minister, (c) the Director-General or (d) any of her staff (i) attended, (ii) accepted an invitation and/or (iii) received tickets to the 2014 Soccer World Cup in their official capacity; if so, what are the relevant details including the (aa)(aaa) names and (bbb) positions of those who attended and (bb) breakdown of the amounts spent by her department on (aaa) travel, (bbb) accommodation, (ccc) entertainment and (ddd) any further specified expenses;
(2) (a) what is the breakdown of the amount spent by her department on any persons accompanying (i) her, (ii) the Deputy Minister, (iii) the Director-General or (iv) any of her staff to attend the 2014 Soccer World Cup including (aa) travel, (bb) accommodation, (cc) entertainment and (dd) any further costs and (b) in each case, what is the (i) relationship and (ii) reason for accompanying the relevant person? NW902E
Reply:
1) No
2) Not applicable
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 766
766. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) How many (i) judgments and (ii) court orders were made against her department in the (aa) 2010-11, (bb) 2011-12, (cc) 2012-13 and (dd) 2013-14 financial years and (b) in each case, (i) how many of these (aa) were implemented and (bb) await implementation by her department and (ii) what was the nature of the (aa) judgment and/or (bb) court order? NW853E
Reply:
(a) (i) There were no judgements made against the Department in any of the said financial years.
(ii) In 2013-14, two orders were granted against the Department.
(b) (i) Both court orders were implemented.
(ii) (aa) Not applicable.
(bb) Both orders relate to Applications for Judicial Review.
Reply received: August 2014
National Assembly Question 626
626. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic hotel bookings were made by (i) her, (ii) her predecessors and (iii) departmental officials attending (aa) workshops, (bb) seminars, (cc) oversight visits or (dd) any other relevant meetings of the relevant portfolio committee from 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each specified booking, what was the (a) date, (b) name of the hotel, (c) number of delegates, (d) cost of the hotel booking for each delegate and (e) the nature of the relevant portfolio business dealt with? NW709E
Reply:
1. i) Since assuming office in May 2014, the Minister has not made any international or domestic hotel bookings for workshops, seminars, oversight visits or any other relevant meetings of the Portfolio Committee on Energy.
ii) Information regarding the Minister's predecessors is being obtained from the Department and will be provided to the Honourable member as soon as it is collated.
iii) Departmental officials are regularly invited to attend and brief meetings of the Portfolio Committee, and they are routinely accommodated in hotels in line with the relevant prescripts.
2. Not applicable.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 427
427. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What is the total number of solar water heaters rolled out by her department as part of the Government's commitment to the Green Economy Accord and the New Growth Path (NGP);
(2) (a) what electricity savings have been achieved by the Government's adoption of demand management measures in the 2013-14 financial year and (b) please express these electricity savings as a (i) whole number and (ii) percentage of the total government electricity usage? NW509E
Reply
(1). 404,046 units were installed.
(2). Approximately 12, 07 MW of electricity was saved.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly question 347
347. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of all flowers purchased by her department for each year between 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) What are the details of (a)(i) the address and (ii) the name of the office where the specified flowers were displayed, (b) for whose benefit were the flowers purchased and (c) what was the purchase value of the flowers for each office where it was displayed;
(3) In respect of flowers purchased for individuals, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) relationship of the person to (aa) her and (bb) the Ministry and (b) what is the cost of each purchase;
(4) What are the details of any (a) contractual arrangements and (b) plans to purchase flowers in the future? NW429E
Reply: (1) From 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2010, the Department of Energy did not exist
Since 01 April 2010 to 31 March 2014 the flowers were purchased for office display in the Ministry and as well as for condolences (bereavement) and consoling (hospitalization) purposes
The details of the flowers purchased are as follows;
| Year | Quantity for Ministry | Amount for Ministry | Quantity for Individuals | Amount for Individual | Total Quantity | Total Amount |
| (Rand) | (Rand) | (Rand) | ||||
| 2010/11 | 14 | 11,848.95 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11,848.95 |
| 2011/12 | 21 | 19,287.10 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 19,287.10 |
| 2012/13 | 18 | 17,002.10 | 4 | 5,472.00 | 22 | 22,474.10 |
| 2013/14 | 11 | 13,966.40 | 5 | 9,387.00 | 16 | 23,353.20 |
| Total | 64 | 62 104.55 | 9 | 14,859.00 | 73 | 76,963.35 |
(2) The details of (a)(i) the address and (ii) the name of the office where the specified flowers were displayed, (b) for whose benefit were the flowers purchased and (c) what was the purchase value of the flowers for each office where it was displayed in (annexure A) provided.
| (3) The table below provides the details of flowers purchased for individuals.
(4) (a) There are no contractual agreements for the supply of flowers. (b) The procurement of flowers is done as per the provisions of the Ministerial Handbook. |
Reply received: March 2014
QUESTION 341
341. Mr J F Smalle (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) To whom were the (a) Milnerton and (b) Saldanha storage tanks leased in the 2013-14 financial year;
(2) are there products in all storage tanks; if not, (a) why not and (b) for what period have they been empty;
(3) is the Strategic Fuel Fund in a legal dispute pertaining to any of the leases; if so, (a) against who and (b) for what reason;
(4) what was the value of the income generated by the storage tanks in (a) Milnerton and (b) Saldanha in the (i) 2011-12 and (ii) 2012-13 financial years? NW394E
REPLY:
1. For both (a) Milnerton and (b) Saldanha, the Strategic Fuel Fund (SFF) is bound contractually not to disclose the identity of the lessee/s to a third party, without the consent of that lessee. At the time of submission of the answers to these questions, SFF had not obtained the required concurrence from the contractual counter-parties.
2. Not all the storage tanks have products.
(a) The utilization of the tanks depends on crude oil market conditions. The market conditions have not been favourable for storage of crude oil.
(b) Three of the Saldanha tanks have been empty since the beginning of the April 2013. The majority of the Milnerton tanks have been empty for a number of years, owing to refurbishment and the transfer of their operations from PetroSA to SFF.
3. (a) & (b)
SFF & Morgan Stanley
The legal dispute reported in the 2012-13 financial statement between SFF (lessor) and Morgan Stanley (lessee) is yet to be concluded. The dispute relates to monies payable to local authorities for services provided on behalf of Morgan Stanley. The lessee disputes that they were the liable party.
4. (a) and (b)
Income generated for requested periods
| Income (R'000) | ||
| Financial Year | Milnerton | Saldanha |
| 2011/2012 | 37,281.72 | 339,301.28 |
| 2012/2013 | 2,680.88 | 146,257.12 |
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly question : 315
315. Mr. L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of office furniture ordered and or purchased for the use of her and/or her staff since 1 May 2014;
(2) in respect of each piece of furniture, (a) what is the description, (b) what is the breakdown of the costs, (c) where will each piece of furniture be used and (d) who will use each piece of furniture;
(3) what are the details of furniture disposed of;
(4) in respect of each piece of furniture disposed of, (a) what is the description, (b) original purchase costs and (c) on what date was it purchased;
(5) (a) how was this furniture disposed of, (b) what disposal method was used, (c) what is the name and contact details of person/s to whom it was disposed and (d) at what price was it disposed of? NW396E
Reply:
(1) Since 1 May 2014 to date, the Department of Energy did not order and/or purchase furniture for the Minister and/or staff in the Ministry.
(2) Not applicable
(3) Not applicable
(4) Not applicable.
(5) Not applicable
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 298
298. Dr P J Groenewald (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) (a) Into which account is the fuel levy paid and (b) for what purpose is the money in this account appropriated;
(2) (a) what is the current balance of the account and (b)(i) for what purpose and (ii) in the amount of what sum were the funds appropriated in (aa) 2009, (bb) 2010, (cc) 2011, (dd) 2012 and (ee) 2013;
(3) whether he will make a statement on the matter? NW351E
REPLY:
The Department received the question, reviewed its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropriate respondent should be the National Treasury.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question: 281
281. Mr L W Greyling (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of motor vehicles ordered and/or purchased for her use since May 2014;
(2) (a) what is the (i) make, (ii) model, (iii) total cost and (iv) breakdown of the cost of each motor vehicle and (b) where will each motor vehicle normally be stationed? NW361E
Reply:
(1) No vehicles were ordered and/or purchased by the Department of Energy since May 2014.
(2) Not applicable, as no vehicles were ordered and/or purchased by the Department of Energy since May 2014.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question: 245
245. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What is the country's total coal reserves as at (a) 15 June 2013 and (b) 15 June 2014 respectively;
(2) what amount of electricity was exported per month in the (a) 2012-13 and (b) 2013-14 financial years? NW323E
Reply:
(1) Question 1(a) and (b) not applicable to the Department of Energy.
(2) Question 2 (a) and (b) not applicable to the Department of Energy
Reply received: February 2014
National Assembly: 193
193. Ms B D Ferguson (Cope) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Whether he is aware that coal exports decreased from 6,8 million tonnes in December 2013 to 4,6 million tonnes in January 2014; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the (a) reasons for this decrease and (b) further relevant details? NW199E
REPLY :
The Department recieved the question, recieved its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropriated respondent should Department of Mineral Resources
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question: 190
190. Mr Y Cassim (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of all the costs of the maintenance of the pot plants in her (a) departmental offices and (b) official residence (i) in the (aa) 2009-10, (bb) 2010-11, (cc) 2011-12, (dd) 2012-13 and (ee) 2013-14 financial years and (ii) since 1 April 2014;
(2) in respect of the pot plant maintenance, (a) what is the (i) address and (ii) name of the office where they were/are displayed, (b) for whose benefit are these pot plants, (c) what was/is the value of maintenance for each office and (d) what are the details of any contracts and/or plans for the maintenance of these pot plants in the future? NW240E
Reply:
(1) The Department of Energy (a) did not exist in 2009-10. Since 2010-11(bb) to date the Department of Energy did not incur costs relating to the maintenance of pot plants.
(2) (a) Not applicable, the Department does not intend initiating any pot plants contracts.
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 179
179. Mr J F Smalle (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
What (a) were the reasons for the explosion of the 132KW electrical cable, which occurred on Friday, 7 February 2014 in Richardsbay, (b) was the cost incurred by Eskom to fix the cable and (c)(i) steps have been taken or (ii) measures have been put in place to avoid the occurrence of similar events in future? NW185E
Reply
(a), (b) and (c)
The explosion occurred within the area under the jurisdiction of the Msunduzi Local Municipality. A report can thus be obtained from them.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 156
156. Ms L V James (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of all expenditure that was found to have been (a) irregular and (b) wasteful in her department for each year from 1 April 2009 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each such finding of (a) irregular and (b) wasteful expenditure, (i) what (aa) is the description thereof, (bb) is the value thereof and (cc) action has been taken against the persons accountable for such expenditure and (ii) how much thereof (aa) has been recovered and (bb) from whom? NW170
Reply:
(1) (a) Details of all irregular expenditure incurred by the Department of Energy.
| Financial year | Amount |
| R,000 | |
| 2009/2010 | Department of Energy did not exist |
| 2010/2011 | 112, 363 |
| 2011/2012 | 39, 748 |
| 2012/2013 | 8, 238 |
| 2013/2014 | 75 |
(b) Details of wasteful expenditure incurred by the Department of Energy
2009/2010 - Department of Energy did not exist. Since 2010/2011 to date the Department of Energy did not incur any wasteful expenditure
2. (a) Irregular expenditure
| (i) aa Description | (i) bb Value |
| R,000 | |
| Failure to comply with department procurement procedures, non-compliance with practice note 8 of 2007/2008 and transfer payments not authorized in accordance with financial delegations | 112, 363 |
| Irregular expenditure relating to office accommodation | 39, 748 |
| Procurement process not followed, services rendered before generating an order and expenditure relating to office accommodation | 8, 238 |
| Procurement process for the catering services during a branch break away and the workshop held on government audit and risk management were not followed. | 75 |
i (cc) All cases of irregular expenditure incurred were directly related to non-compliance to supply chain management processes, i.e. obtaining of original and valid tax clearance certificate however the Department did not suffer any financial losses as a result of such irregular expenditure and in each case of irregular expenditure investigations are conducted in terms of the Department's irregular expenditure framework, and where necessary the human resource disciplinary process is followed.
(b) Wasteful expenditure
Since inception to date the Department of Energy did not incur any wasteful expenditure.
(ii) No amounts were recovered from any individual or officials.
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 133
133. Mr L W Greyling (ID) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Were any tenders invited for the installation of low-pressure solar water heaters in 2013; if not, why not; if so, was the tender awarded;
(2) how many low-pressure solar water heaters were installed in 2013;
(3) (a) what are the targets for the roll-out of low-pressure solar water heaters and (b) what is his department doing to ensure that it reaches its targets in this regard;
(4) what is his department doing to ensure that the local manufacturers of low-pressure solar water heaters have sufficient national demand to support their operations? NW139E
REPLY :
1. Yes, there were tenders issued by Eskom for installation of low-pressure solar water heaters in Musina, Polokwane and Buffalo City Municipalities (on behalf of the Department) as well as in Soweto. However, these tenders were not awarded and Eskom cancelled the process.
In August 2013, the department issued a request for registration and information to test the market and confirm if there were complaint systems in regard to 70% local content as outlined in the SWH instruction note issued under the Preferential Procurement Policy Framework Act.
2. Accumulative 395,088 SWH units (inclusive of low and high pressure) installed by the end of December 2013 with 53,000 SWH units installed in 2013 calendar year.
3. a. There are 480,000 low pressure SWH units to be installed by 31 March 2016;
b. The Department concluded the new contracting model in October 2013. The revised contracting model will allow Eskom to do mass procurement for all participating municipalities. However, prior to the said procurement, the SABS will have to verify the local content threshold capacity of all manufactures as outlined in the instruction note.
4. The DoE appointed the SABS to carry out the local content measurement and verification process, which is scheduled to begin on 1st March 2014.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question 124
Mr G G Hill-Lewis (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) What are the details of official credit cards issued to (a) her and/or (b) her staff;
(2) in respect of each credit card, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) maximum permissible value of each purchase and (ii) total credit limit of the card, (c) what are the details of permissible purchases for which the credit cards may be used and (d) may alcoholic beverages be purchased;
(3) in respect of purchases made with each credit card during the period 8 May 2014 and/or thereafter up to the latest specified date for which information is available, (a) what is the (i) name and (ii) organogram position of the user, (b) what is the (i) value of each purchase made, (ii) what are the details of each item purchased and (iii) for what purpose was each purchase made and (c) were any alcoholic beverages purchased; if so, (i) what are the (aa) details and (bb) value of these purchases and (ii) for what purpose was each purchase made? NW135E
Reply:
1) There are no credit cards issued by the Department to the Minister, Deputy Minister or staff.
2) Not applicable.
3) Not applicable.
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 114
114. Ms B D Ferguson (Cope) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Whether he has found that the draft update of the Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) adequately caters for the introduction of the private power generation; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details regarding the level of power generation that would meet the demand that could return over the medium term should supply-side confidence be restored? NW119E
Reply
No. The Integrated Resource Plan does not seek to pronounce on who the developer of the proposed build programme will be (i.e. private or public). It merely outlines South Africa's policy aspirations relating to power generation technology mix for the next 20 years. The final IRP will have both medium term and long term power projects without prescribing who the developer should be.
Reply received: February 2014
National Assembly: 118
Ms B D Ferguson (Cope) to ask the Minister of Energy:
1) Whether his department can clearly identify and determine that electricity consumption has fallen since the load-shedding crisis of 2008; if not, why not; if so, what are the normal national levels of electricity consumption against periodic demand consumption;
2) Whether electricity consumption has been constrained due to steps taken by Eskom to stabilise its system; if so, what are the relevant details? NW123E
Reply
1) Since 2008, electricity consumption has decreased. Table 1 below sets out the electricity consumption in Gigawatt hours (Gwh) per annum and the percentage growth for the period 2008 to 2013 based on Eskom's financial year ending 31 March of each year. In addition it should be noted that demand is seasonal in that there is higher demand during winter season than the summer season, and demand tends to drop during holidays, such as the Easter Holidays.
Table 1: Electricity Consumption in Sales (Gwh) per annum
| 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | |
| Sales in GWh | 216 561 | 224 785 | 224 446 | 218 591 | 214 850 | 224 366 |
| Percentage Growth | (3.7) | 0.2 | 2.7 | 1.7 | (4.2) | 2.8 |
2) The reduction in electricity consumption is as a result of various factors such as change in the economy and commodity prices. In general, Eskom meets all electricity demand, through its own supply; supply purchased from private power producers; demand reduction interventions; and specific demand reduction protocols.
Reply received: February 2014
National Assembly: 107
107. Mr N J J van R Koornhof (Cope) to ask the Minister of Energy:
Whether there is any noise restrictions with regard to the noise levels the PetroSA plant at Mossel Bay must adhere to; if not, why not; if so, (a) what are the maximum decibel levels, (b) have these levels been violated in the past six months and (c) what measures are in place to prevent violations? NW112E
Reply:
PetroSA is registered as a mine and therefore has to comply with the requirements of the Mine Health and Safety Act (MHSA) in terms of noise.
a) Since noise exposure is identified as a significant risk at the mine, a mandatory Code of Practice (COP) for an occupational health programme for noise was submitted to and accepted by the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).
The noise levels at the GTL Refinery exceeds 82 dB Aeq,8hr (action level) and PetroSA therefore has an occupational hygiene monitoring programme for noise. This programme is managed by a Certified Occupational Hygienist and includes noise zoning, personal exposure monitoring and submission of mandatory reports to the DMR (required by regulation 9.2 of the MHSA).
b) Recent noise zoning and personal exposure sampling reports indicate noise levels between 82 and 98 dB (A). Very high noise levels that exceeds 110 dB (A) may result during upset conditions at steam release vents on the plant. During these conditions access control is enforced where possible and the use of Variphone (Hearing Protection Device (HPD)) is mandatory.
In order to control exposure of the workforce, PetroSA implements a hearing conservation standard that requires management to take reasonable practicable measures to control the noise by eliminating sources, segregating noise sources with less noisy ones and implementing engineering and administrative controls. Since it is not always possible to control noise to below the Occupational Exposure Limit (OEL) of 85 dB (A), no person is allowed to work in the demarcated noise zones without HPD's.
c) All employees exposed over the OEL are required to undergo audiometric testing on an annual basis to timeously identify workers with a reduction in hearing acuity. These incidents are reported by the on-site Occupational Health Practitioner and investigated to identify the root cause and to take appropriate remedial action when and where required.
It can be concluded that PetroSA is adhering to legal requirements and that all reasonable measures have been taken to protect the workforce from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss (NIHL) due to noise exposure.
Reply received: February 2014
National Assembly: 103
Adv A de W Alberts (FF Plus) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) Which levies are currently being imposed on fuel, (b) on which date each imposed levy came into effect, (c) what the (i) amount and (ii) specific goal of each individual fuel levy is, (d) what amount was recovered up to the latest date for which information is available and (e) what the funds recovered by each individual levy was used for in each case? NW107E
Reply:
The Department received the question, reviewed its contents against its mandate and has determined that the most appropiate respondent should be the National Treasury.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 91
91. Dr B van Onselen (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) How many (a) international and (b) domestic flights were undertaken by (i) her and (ii) her predecessors using (aa) aircraft operated by the military, (bb) aircraft chartered by the military or (cc) commercial aircraft during the period 1 April 2013 up to the latest specified date for which information is available;
(2) in respect of each specified flight, what was the (a)(i) date and (ii) place of (aaa) departure and (bbb) arrival and (b)(i) total cost and (ii) breakdown of such costs? NW100E
Reply:
(1) (aa) and (bb) Since 1 April 2013 to date the Ministers of Energy (Minister Dipuo Peters, Minister Dikobe Ben Martins and Minister Tina Joemat- Pettersson) no aircraft operated and/or chartered by the military for international and domestic flights was used.
(cc) Below are numbers of local and international trips using commercial aircraft undertaken during the period 1 April 2013 to date.
| No. of Local Trips | No. of International Trips |
| 81 | 19 |
(2) Below are the costs for the local and international trips undertaken by the Ministers of Energy during the period 1 April 2013 to date.
| Local Trips | Cost for Local Trips R'000 | |
| 81 | 495 | |
| International Trips | Cost for Trips R'000 | |
| 19 | 2,320 | |
In respect of question (2) (a)(i) and (ii) (aaa) and (bbb) and (b)(i) and (ii) note that given the local and international interest in the energy sector, for the reasons of national interest these details cannot be shared.
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 83
83. Mr L W Greyling (ID) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) Is the National Energy Regulator of SA (Nersa) still investigating the energy deal between a certain company (BHP Bilton) and Eskom; if so, when will the investigation be complete; if not,
(2) has the investigation been (a) suspended or (b) cancelled; if so, what are the relevant details, in each case? NW84E
Reply:
(1) Yes, NERSA is still investigating the Negotiated Pricing agreement between BHP Billiton and Eskom as requested by Eskom. The investigation is almost complete and the report is in the process of being compiled. The initial report will go through all the NERSA internal processes by the end of May 2014.
(2) The investigation has not been suspended nor cancelled.
Reply received: July 2014
National Assembly Question : 51
Please find attached a response to Parliamentary Question Number 51 for written reply asked by Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
51. Mr G Mackay (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(a) How many power outages occurred across the country in the 2013-14 financial year, (b) what was the average electricity down time for each outage and (c) what is the total estimated economic cost, expressed as a percentage of total electricity sales? NW57E
Reply:
(a) Eskom does not report to the Department of Energy but to the Department of Public Enterprises.
Reply received: March 2014
National Assembly Question: 34
34. Mr K S Mubu (DA) to ask the Minister of Energy:
(1) How much does his department plan to spend on (a) advertising, (b) communication and (c) marketing between 1 January 2014 and 30 April 2014 (i) in total and (ii) as a breakdown of the amount;
(2) what mediums is his department going to use in each case and (b) who is the service provider to be used;
(3) what is the main message that his department plans to communicate during this time? NW35E
REPLY:
- Budget : R 5.910 000 million
- Advertising : R2.910 000 million
- Communication: R1 million
- Marketing: R2 million
i) Total = R5 million as indicated in the first answer
ii) Breakdown
| ITEM | AMOUNT |
| Event –community engagements | R450 000 |
| Event- Public Participation programme | R450 000 |
| Media Monitoring and analysis | R450 000 |
| Branding | R200 000 |
| Promotional material | R150 000 |
| Radio Adverts -15 radio stations including :SABC –National public broadcaster , commercial radio stations and 10 Community radio stations | R1.8 million |
| TV adverts –product not airtime sales costs. No airtime has been paid yet | R810 000 for two adverts |
| Newspaper adverts This includes national, regional and weekly newspapers | R1.6 million |
| Billboards | Awaiting quotations from supply chain management |
| Total | R5.910 000 million |
- Mediums : electronic media , print media
ENERGY EFFICIENCY
In 2005, the Government approved the National Energy Efficiency Strategy which sets sectoral targets for energy efficiency to be achieved by 2015. The government and various sectors of the South African Economy have been engaged in several initiatives , in an effort to implement clean energy initiatives including the installation of energy efficient technologies including lighting , solar water heating , space heating , mechanical and electrical equipment and launching energy efficiency campaigns. The advertisements developed are aimed at communicating and promoting the Energy Efficiency and encouraging members of the public to use energy efficiency in order to save energy.
INEP
Access to electricity remains one of government's key priority areas. Electricity assists in economic growth and access to job opportunities and the alleviation of poverty. Infrastructure development is not possible without electricity. Since 1994 government has provided access to electricity to over 5.8 million homes that had no electricity before. Government's plan is to strive towards improving electricity access by 2025 through the upgrading ad strengthening of the electricity network infrastructure in the country. Our adverts are aimed at communicating the major achievement of government in improving the lives of communities
NUCLEAR
The primary purpose is to demystify Nuclear and to promote careers in nuclear as part of the Nuclear awareness programme. It is also aimed at ensuring that nuclear expansion programme is understood by all citizens and reflect that nuclear energy is safe, sustainable and reliable and is environmentally friendly technology that is an important part of South Africa's energy mix.
RENEWABLE ENERGY
The Renewable Energy White Paper was approved in 2003 aimed at creating conditions for the development and commercial implementation of renewable technologies. It also aims to diversify energy supply by developing advanced, cleaner more efficient affordable and cost effective energy technologies. Our adverts and public engagements are aimed at communication this strategy and providing an effective awareness campaign to ensure behavioral changes in energy use which will inevitably lead to the creation of an overall understanding of the critical importance of implementing a diverse energy mix for all citizens.