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Friday, 17 January 2025: Eskom Group Chief Executive (GCE) Dan Marokane has announced Dr. Candice Hartley as Chief People Officer and Mr Rivoningo Mnisi as Group Executive: Renewables. These appointments complete the strengthening of Eskom’s executive team to bring in new skills to guide teams within the business to execute faster and more efficiently. “In...
Thursday, 16 January 2025: The 2025 Top Employers have been announced and Eskom has been recognised as a Top Employer in South Africa. This prestigious accolade places us among an elite group of organisations globally acknowledged for their dedication to creating an exceptional workplace, by developing and embedding Human Resources (HR) policies and people practices. The...
By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org).
Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) have been introduced in recent years to provide financial support to developing nations as they transition away from fossil fuels. In 2021, during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), South Africa became the first nation to sign such a deal. Senegal and the International Partners Group (IGP) signed a JETP in June 2023.
I have said before that the best way for Western countries, and the developed world at large, to help Africa transition from fossil fuels is through investment and collaboration, not patronization. This is precisely what the JETP programs seek to do, assist energy emerging economies that are dependent on coal to transition away from fossil fuels while leaving room to address the associated social consequences. That is investment, that is collaboration, and above all, it is respectful of the reality that Africa can move only on its own schedule in this matter. Arbitrarily forbidding us from using our natural resources will only do more harm than good.
So far, South Africa and Senegal are the only African countries to have agreed to a JETP, with South Africa securing a deal for USD8.5 billion, while Senegal secured one for USD2.7 billion. How South Africa and Senegal intend to leverage these deals differ drastically, however, as do their power generation circumstances.
South Africa: Pulled Between Priorities
Coal continues to dominate South Africa's energy portfolio, at over 80% of the country's power generation mix. Due to chronic load shedding and energy shortage issues, the country is now being pulled between two priorities, ensuring energy security and adhering to its decarbonization plans. General power outages have plagued the country since 2008 but intensified in recent years and effectively hamstrung South Africa's economy, which has not surpassed even 1% gross domestic product (GDP) annual growth in the last decade.
The country's aging coal fleet faces significant maintenance issues which led to several of the country's largest coal units being rendered inoperable in 2023. That year also saw the worst load shedding the country has faced yet, more than twice what it experienced in 2022, leading to energy shortages for 335 days out of the year. This load shedding led to a sharp increase in demand for solar panels and batteries, but Eskom (South Africa's power utility) has had to prioritize energy security instead, prolonging its reliance on coal-fired plants and slowing down their decommissioning. To their credit, Eskom has made significant improvements to their coal plants' maintenance and repair thanks to a recovery strategy launched in early 2023, and they have not suffered another load-shedding event since March 26, 2024.
Nevertheless, the decision to prolong their reliance on coal is at odds with South Africa's JETP. It has also directly led to the South African government seeking renegotiation of finance deals tied to its transition to cleaner energy sources, amounting to some USD2.6 billion of the originally agreed to USD8.5 billion.
Above all, right now South Africa requires a solution that will ensure its energy security while also keeping the country on track with its JETP commitments, especially given its peak demand by 2030 is expected to reach 38 gigawatts (GW), a full 6 GW more than its current peak. And even though 13.6 GW of new power plants are expected to come online by 2027, with solar PV accounting for over half and onshore wind accounting for 25% of the new capacity, coal is still expected to meet two-thirds of daily demand. Battery storage assets awarded by South Africa's Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (BESIPPP) will also contribute to this new capacity. Renewable-based generation in South Africa is also expected to grow from nearly 14.1% currently to nearly 29% by 2030.
I want to be very clear here: South Africa's renewable energy growth is commendable, and Eskom's decision to prioritize energy security via coal when an alternative solution wasn't immediately available was understandable and pragmatic. But the country's renewables are not advancing fast enough to cover for the aging of its coal fleet, and no amount of emergency maintenance campaigns can ensure that similar issues won't lead to a load-shedding crisis again. If unaddressed, it will introduce the risk of shortfalls when the coal fleet is inevitably shut down at its end of life. Gas-to-power is thus the most prudent option for South Africa to prioritize while it continues working to expand its renewable power sources. The flexibility provided by gas-to-power will help meet demand once the coal fleet can no longer provide South Africa's baseload power, leaving it with only its Koeberg nuclear power plant and currently limited solar and hydropower resources to fill in the gap. Not only is natural gas more cost-effective and efficient as a power source than coal, but it is also relatively cheap to retrofit a formerly coal-fired plant with gas turbines, allowing South Africa to both gradually phase out coal while saving money that would otherwise be spent building entirely new infrastructure. All of this will matter a great deal, as South Africa anticipates phasing out coal to require USD99 billion dollars between 2023 and 2027. So far, it has raised half between their JETP deal with the IGP, USD33 billion in private sector investments, and USD10 billion from the public sector. South Africa hopes to fill the gap through both domestic and international private entities in the form of grants, guarantees, and concessional loans.
Fewer Struggles in Senegal
Senegal, meanwhile, looks to be having fewer troubles, being reliant on liquid fuel sources rather than coal. The USD2.7 billion raised through its JETP is expected to attract and mobilize further investments from both the private and public sectors, much the same as South Africa. Senegal, however, will also be receiving technical assistance from its international partners to boost the integration of its renewable energy infrastructure and technology, with a heavy focus on grid stabilization and battery storage. This aligns well with its electrification plans, which aim to achieve 40% of its installed capacity mix provided by renewables by 2030, up considerably from the current 22%. Senegal has also committed to developing an investment plan within 12 months to identify its needs, opportunities, and allocations to meet its targets.
To that same end, Senegal plans to publish a revised nationally determined contribution (NDC) at COP30, set to take place in late 2025. The current NDC outlines an unconditional target of 235 MW of solar PV, 150 MW of onshore wind, and 314 MW of hydro by 2030. With international assistance, these targets are set to rise to 335 MW of solar PV, 250 MW of onshore wind, 50 MW of bioenergy and 50 MW of solar thermal.
Overall, both South Africa and Senegal stand to benefit significantly from their JETPs, and this is a trend I hope to see continue in the future for African states. There are, of course, growing pains. JETPs are still a nascent program, and the first few deals were signed as political promises first and foremost before the full technical and coordination details could be fully worked out by all sides. The implementation process for South Africa and Senegal has thus been delayed while consultations and negotiations smooth over the logistical details. In addition, JETPs alone will be nowhere near enough to fully cover the financial burden of transitioning African countries away from fossil fuels, and acquiring the private financial investments to bridge the gap may prove difficult for many countries.
This is why it is crucial for African states, and the world at large, to keep a close eye on how things develop in South Africa and Senegal, as their efforts to address these challenges will no doubt set the example for others.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.
Friday, 10 January 2025: Eskom has reached 289 consecutive days without implementing loadshedding since 26 March last year, which has also resulted in year-to-date diesel savings of R16.28 billion, which is about 63.4% less than the R25.67 billion spent during the same period last year, due to the ongoing structural improvements in Generation performance. Over...
DTIC notes ArcelorMittal South Africa’s decision
The steel industry is critical in the reconstruction and recovery plan for the South African economy, particularly the manufacturing, mining, construction, engineering, and transportation sectors, said the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic).
In a statement responding to ArcelorMittal South Africa’s (AMSA) announcement to wind down its longs steel business at its Newcastle plant, the department said the steel industry is important to the sectors that are at the centre of the industrialisation, localisation and beneficiation programmes of government.
“The department notes with serious concern the announcement by ArcelorMittal South Africa to wind down its longs steel business at its Newcastle plant. In fulfilment of its mandate to work with the private sector in growing the local economy the dtic remains committed to working with AMSA to find a workable and lasting situation,” it said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the course of 2024, AMSA had reached out to various government departments and state-owned entities with requests for different concessions for their business. Having taken heed of these requests, the Minister of the dtic took the decision to form a comprehensive and coordinated approach to resolving the issues raised by AMSA.
“In doing so, the Minister set up a technical working group made up of the relevant stakeholders including the dtic and AMSA, the departments of Electricity and Energy, Transport, as well as Eskom, Transnet and private sector stakeholders.”
The department said the working group held regular engagements up until and well into December 2024.
“This work has been noted in the statement released by AMSA. It has always been, and continues to be the intention of government to continue these engagements until a workable resolution to the problems faced by AMSA and the steel industry is reached,” said the department.
In a press statement on Monday, AMSA said it had taken the decision to wind down the longs business.
“This comes after sustained challenges, including weak economic growth, high logistics and energy costs, and an influx of low-cost steel imports, particularly from China. Persistent high logistics and energy costs, combined with insufficient policy interventions (especially those policy decisions made some time ago (namely, the Price Preference System [PPS] and export scrap tax) relating to the substantial subsidisation of scrap-based steelmaking operations to the detriment of the Newcastle Works - which beneficiates South African-sourced raw materials), have left the longs business unsustainable. Despite extensive consultations with government and stakeholders to find viable solutions to sustain the longs business, progress was insufficient to avert the wind down,” said AMSA.
In its statement on Wednesday, the dtic said that while the immediate task will be on addressing structural issues affecting AMSA’s longs steel business, the broader focus should also be on addressing productivity improvements and supply chain efficiencies, investments in low-carbon technologies, competitiveness and regaining the market share.
“It is also important that public and private sector’ entities and companies commit themselves to procure locally manufactured steel products in their projects. Undoubtedly, such a commitment will contribute positively to aggregate demand, job creation and economic growth in South Africa,” it said.
“AMSA will now transition the longs business into care and maintenance. Steel production is anticipated to cease by late January 2025, with the wind-down of the remaining production processes completed in Q1 2025,” said AMSA.
This wind down decision will directly affect operations constituting Newcastle (in KwaZulu-Natal) and Vereeniging Works (in Gauteng) and AMRAS (the rail and structural subsidiary).
Newcastle’s coke-making operations will continue, though scaled back to reflect reduced demand. - SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Thu, 01/09/2025 - 09:46
Friday, 03 January 2025: Today, Eskom reached 282 consecutive days without implementing loadshedding since 26 March last year, further signalling the structural improvements in Generation performance. This achievement, brought by the investment in the Generation Recovery Plan and enhanced maintenance protocols, has also resulted in year-to-date diesel savings of R16.52 billion. The plan has recently...
Eskom synchronises Koeberg’s Unit 2 to the grid
Eskom has successfully synchronised Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town, to the national grid.
The unit was synchronised to the national grid on Monday, marking a significant milestone in the Generation Operational Recovery Plan and South Africa’s pursuit of a dependable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable energy supply.
“This achievement follows an extensive Long-Term Operation (LTO) programme designed to extend Unit 2’s operational lifespan by an additional 20 years,” the power utility said in a statement on Tuesday.
It said that the maintenance programme for Unit 2 included the replacement of three steam generators, comprehensive inspections, and refuelling activities to ensure the reactor's continued safe and efficient performance.
“These enhancements align with Eskom’s broader strategy to secure the future of Koeberg’s reactors, which are critical to the country’s energy security. With a 930MW contribution, Unit 2 plays a significant role in Eskom’s goal to increase its capacity by 2 500MW by March 2025,” it explained.
The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) is anticipated to decide on the extension of Unit 2’s operational license in 2025.
“This comes after the successful renewal of Unit 1’s license, which extends its operation until 2044. Unit 1, contributing 930MW to the grid, has shown exceptional reliability since its return to service. Combined, Units 1 and 2 will supply 1 860MW - approximately 5% of South Africa’s total electricity - playing a vital role in reducing loadshedding and stabilising the grid.”
The Koeberg Nuclear Power Station which celebrated 40 years of safe and efficient operation in 2024, stands as a cornerstone of Eskom’s energy portfolio.
The successful completion of Unit 1’s LTO programme in 2023 has set the stage for similar advancements with Unit 2, further solidifying Koeberg’s critical role in South Africa’s energy landscape.
Unit 1 has consistently delivered high levels of performance, and Unit 2 is expected to match or exceed these achievements.
The utility said that Koeberg’s enduring success underscores its significance in meeting South Africa’s energy needs and supporting its transition to a low-carbon economy.
“By forming strategic collaborations with international designers, suppliers, and industry leaders, Koeberg has established itself as a hub for nuclear innovation. These partnerships are anticipated to be crucial as South Africa explores advanced nuclear technologies, such as small modular reactors (SMRs). This could position the country as a leader in cutting-edge nuclear solutions while continuing to build and maintain a skilled nuclear workforce,” said the Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo.
“As South Africa phases out some of the aging coal-fired power plants by 2030, nuclear energy is poised to provide a reliable and stable baseload supply. Unlike intermittent renewable sources, nuclear power ensures continuous electricity generation, meeting the needs of both residential and industrial users. Its ability to produce carbon-free energy also supports South Africa’s climate goals by reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” concluded Nxumalo.
Reliability
Eskom anticipates Koeberg’s enhanced performance will be fully realised in the 2026 financial year, with Unit 2’s record of 498 consecutive days of operation and a 93% energy availability factor serving as a benchmark for future reliability.
“While projects like the LTO programme necessitate a higher initial upfront investment, the long-term benefits - including decades of affordable, low-carbon energy - make them indispensable. Koeberg exemplifies how nuclear power can align economic and environmental priorities to create a sustainable energy future. Through the successful execution of the LTO project, our Koeberg team has once more demonstrated the exceptional skills we have to support our country’s nuclear ambitions,” said Eskom’s Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
The utility said that as the country advances toward a greener economy, Koeberg remains central to its energy strategy.
“Eskom is dedicated to optimising nuclear power’s potential, ensuring a cleaner, more secure, and cost-effective energy supply for generations to come,” it said. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Thu, 01/02/2025 - 10:38
Tuesday, 31 December 2024: Eskom has successfully synchronised Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station in Cape Town to the national grid yesterday, marking a significant milestone in the Generation Operational Recovery Plan and South Africa’s pursuit of a dependable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable energy supply. This achievement follows an extensive Long-Term Operation (LTO)...
No load shedding implemented for nine months
Eskom has now reached more than nine months without having to implement load shedding.
This, the energy utility said, marks a significant milestone in its “commitment to providing reliable electricity to South Africa”.
“As of [Friday] Eskom has successfully completed over…275 consecutive days...without implementing load shedding since 26 March 2024. This achievement underscores Eskom’s dedication to addressing the country’s energy challenges through its investment in the Generation Recovery Plan and enhanced maintenance protocols.
“Eskom continues to utilise the December summer break to increase planned maintenance activities to further improve the reliability of its generation fleet as many industries have shut down for this period, with maintenance averaging at ~8 000MW,” the power utility said.
Eskom explained that its Generation Recovery Plan has made significant improvements in performance “particularly by reducing unplanned outages by ~8.1% compared to the same period last year.”
“Additionally, there was a year-on-year diesel savings of R16.20 billion, which is about 65.1% less than the R24.89 billion spent during the same period last year. Diesel usage remains below the year-to-date budget.
“In August, Eskom shared its summer outlook for the period from 01 September 2024 to 31 March 2025, predicting a likely scenario of a load shedding-free summer, including the festive season, due to structural generation improvements. This outlook remains unchanged,” Eskom said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 12/30/2024 - 10:07
Friday, 27 December 2024: Eskom has reached a significant milestone in its commitment to providing reliable electricity to South Africa. As of today, Eskom has successfully completed over nine months (275 consecutive days) without implementing loadshedding since 26 March 2024. This achievement underscores Eskom’s dedication to addressing the country’s energy challenges through its investment in...
Eskom 'lessons' can be a template for SOEs
South Africa is currently experiencing the longest period without load shedding in the last five years.
This, according to Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who briefed media on Monday.
Eskom has marked more than 270 days without implementing the rolling power outages, with load shedding last implemented in March this year.
“We are recording another milestone in that we are experiencing the longest stretch of uninterrupted power supply in five years. It is an important milestone. We are not celebrating the fact that we have not had load shedding for 272 days… We are simply marking the point that in terms of our quest to end load shedding, it’s important that we are able to take account of these small milestones.
“These are small steps that are going to be able to contribute to a giant leap that we want to achieve… to ensure that we have sufficient capacity that will support the growth of the South African economy,” Ramokgopa said.
Eskom has managed to reduce its unplanned outages by some 8% compared to last year – improving the generation performance of these stations.
The power utility has also recorded year-on-year diesel saving costs of at least R16 billion.
The Minister acknowledged the ongoing hard work by Eskom employees to turn around the fortunes of the power utility.
“We started from a low base. In the financial year 2024… we have seen the highest intensity of load shedding, in terms of the number of days and the number of hours that the country was subjected to periods of no electricity.
“[This], taken with the financial performance, Eskom recorded a significant loss but also is showing that as a result of improved performance, our projection is that we should be – at a minimum – achieving a surplus at the end of [this] financial year,” he said.
Ramokgopa said the “Eskom lessons” can be used to “generate a template on how [we] are able to recover from a very difficult situation”.
“It’s a template you can take to any of the SOEs [State-owned Enterprises]... of course, adapt it to the nuances of that particular SOE. But I think there are transversal experiences that can be drawn from the Eskom experience,” he said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Mon, 12/23/2024 - 11:45
Friday, 20 December 2024: The investment in the Generation Recovery Plan continues to enable the suspension of loadshedding, with 268 consecutive days achieved since 26 March 2024. Eskom is utilising the December summer break to increase planned maintenance activities to further improve the reliability of its generation fleet as many industries have shut down for...
Friday, 20 December 2024: The suspect arrested in connection with a large-scale illegal electricity operation uncovered in Leeupoort near Fochville in Gauteng earlier this month, has been denied bail and will remain in custody at the Klerksdorp correctional facility until the next court appearance, scheduled for 28 March 2025. Eskom supports the court’s decision as...
Households now rely on a single diesel-powered borehole or have to buy water
'There's no turning back' - Minister Ramokgopa on Eskom
The financial year ending March 2024 was an inflection point for Eskom, signifying the turnaround of the energy utility.
This according to Electricity and Energy Minister, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, who addressed the media at the utility's annual results announcement for the Financial Year 2024.
“The 2024 financial year is a point of inflection. There’s no turning back [and] we’ll only improve from here and that’s the assurance we are giving to the country,” Ramokgopa said on Thursday.
The financial year ending in March was a challenging one for the power utility.
The country experienced at least 329 days of load shedding (between April last year and end of March 2024), there was a decline in plant availability; distribution energy losses amounted to some 13.9TWh as well as worsened emissions performance.
Eskom also recorded a net loss before tax of some R25.5 billion – an improvement from the previous financial year’s R34.6 billion.
The separation of the National Transmission Company has triggered a once-off accounting adjustment – leading to loss after tax of R55 billion.
The National Transmission Company South Africa (NTCSA) officially commenced trading earlier in the year, marking the company’s establishment as a distinct and wholly owned subsidiary of Eskom. At the time, it was said that the NTCSA will own and operate the country’s national transmission system.
The Minister acknowledged the issues faced by Eskom over the last financial year.
He reminded South Africans, however, that the electricity producer has upped its performance – resulting in more than 260 days of no load shedding, improved plant performance and billions of Rands in diesel cost savings.
“We are taking responsibility of what happened, and the numbers don’t look good. We carry that responsibility and take the good with the bad. The projection outlook going forward is very positive, but we are responsibility for that record.
“[But] we are able to illustrate to the country that we are moving in the right direction. We can simply improve from here,” he said.
Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, explained that although the year was a “painful year” for the electricity provider, it was also a “building year in terms of our path towards recovery”.
This was the year in which the Generation Recovery Plan was instituted. A lot of effort went into investing into both maintenance expenditure and human resources that was critically required to enable execution.
“It’s also a year where we started seeing the government debt relief programme kicking into action. The certainty that arises from that gave us the ability to plan better and to do the deep maintenance that was required in that financial year,” he said.
Marokane, reiterated the Minister’s sentiments – calling the tough results a part of the state-owned entity’s recovery.
“We own [the results]. They are our results. They are part of our story. They are part of our journey, and we hope that in due course as we add more points, you will begin to see the recovery path unfolding,” Marokane said. – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Thu, 12/19/2024 - 14:21
Thursday, 19 December 2024: Eskom has announced its group annual results for the 2024 financial year, covering 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024. The period marked one of the most challenging moments in the history of the company given the urgent need to deliver on the Generation Recovery Plan to address South Africa’s energy...
Presidency raises concern over McKinsey, Bain appointments
The Presidency has expressed concern with the recent appointments of McKinsey as a partner to the B20, as well as the appointment of Bain in the Project Management Office of the Energy Council of South Africa.
“The Presidency has noted with concern the recent appointments of McKinsey as a supporting partner to the B20, the business engagement group that meets on the sidelines of the G20 and coordinates the participation of business in the G20, and Bain to the Project Management Office of the Energy Council of South Africa,” it said.
Whilst the Presidency or government has no control over the B20 processes, it does not endorse the appointment of McKinsey in this regard.
“Similarly, the Presidency does not condone the inclusion of Bain in supporting the activities of NECOM [National Energy Crisis Committee]. The appointments do not contribute to the engendering of public trust and promotion of good governance, given the well documented role of the two firms in state capture and corruption,” said the Presidency in a statement on Sunday.
Earlier this month, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) announced that it had secured a resolution with McKinsey South Africa, to pay back some R1.1 billion to state coffers for its role in State Capture.
It said that in terms of the resolution, the multinational company admits, accepts and acknowledges responsibility under South African law for the criminal actions and conduct of Vikas Sagar, who was a former partner of McKinsey, during the relevant period. As a result of Sagar’s corrupt actions, McKinsey was awarded contracts with Transnet and Eskom amounting to nearly R2 billion.
READ | NPA reaches resolution with McKinsey South Africa
“The Presidency calls on business to reconsider its position and to appoint more suitable partners for these important endeavors,” said the Presidency. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Mon, 12/16/2024 - 10:39
Eskom begins investigation into Matla Power Station explosion
Preliminary investigations following an explosion at Eskom’s Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga indicate that the rupture of a high-pressure steam steel pipe above the Unit 6 transformer caused Thursday’s incident.
“Eskom can confirm that preliminary investigations indicate the rupture of a high-pressure steam steel pipe above the Unit 6 transformer caused yesterday evening’s incident. The incident resulted in a loud bang and a loss of power supply to the Unit 6 area,” said the power utility in a statement on Friday.
It further added that significant amounts of dust, combined with the loss of power, prevented a fuller assessment until the first light on Friday.
“Technical teams remain on-site, assessing the extent of the damage, the scope of work, and the time required for repairs and restoration. At this stage, there is no evidence of sabotage,” said the utility.
READ | Transformer explosion leaves nine injured at power station
This as the Minister of Electricity and Energy, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, joined by members of Eskom’s Executive Committee and Board, visited the power station on Friday afternoon to offer support and assistance to the Matla leadership team and employees, including visiting the injured employees.
As a result of the steam leak from the damaged pipe, nine employees sustained burn injuries.
“One is in critical condition, and two are in semi-critical condition, but all remain stable. Six employees received less serious injuries, with two already discharged from the hospital.”
Additionally, eight members of the work team were uninjured and sent home. They, along with the next of kin of the injured and the Matla Power Station staff, received counselling and support at the start of shifts.
Meanwhile, the power utility said that the load shedding suspension outlook remains unchanged.
In August, Eskom shared its Summer Outlook, for the period from 01 September 2024 to 31 March 2025 that predicted a likely scenario of a loadshedding-free summer due to structural improvements in the coal-fired fleet. On Friday, Eskom reached 261 consecutive days of load shedding suspension.
As a precautionary measure, Unit 5 was taken offline following the incident to ensure the safety of all employees on-site.
This unit was due to be shut down for planned maintenance on Monday, 16 December 2024. This planned maintenance was brought forward to Saturday, 14 December 2024.
“Our emergency plans were activated accordingly and … the next steps in this plan involve ensuring the injured and their families continue to receive the support and care they need, as well as all our employees at Matla,” said Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo.
“We now begin a disciplined investigation, and the painstaking work required to develop a thorough, disciplined understanding of the incident that will lead us to be able to plan when the unit can be returned to service,” Nxumalo explained.
“Matla is one of the six power stations we prioritised in the Generation Recovery Plan to end load shedding and over the past 18 months the employees have delivered an exceptional performance, achieving an Energy Availability Factor (EAF) of 67.12%,” said Eskom Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane.
“Based on the structural improvements in the generation performance of the coal fired fleet, week by week Eskom is increasingly able to absorb shocks to the system, even though the generation capacity remains tight. The base case scenario for the summer outlook indicates that there will be no loadshedding if unplanned outages stay at 13 000MW or below and our year-to-date average unplanned outages are at 11 875MW,” concluded Marokane. -SAnews.gov.za
Neo
Sun, 12/15/2024 - 10:23
Friday, 13 December 2024: Eskom has reached a milestone of 261 consecutive days without loadshedding, achieved through the successful implementation of the Generation Recovery Plan since March 2023. This accomplishment has resulted in significant cost savings and enhanced reliability of the coal-fired fleet, ensuring a stable and reliable power supply for all South Africans.The recovery...
Friday, 13 December 2024: Eskom can confirm that preliminary investigations indicate the rupture of a high-pressure steam steel pipe above the Unit 6 transformer caused yesterday evening’s incident. The incident resulted in a loud bang and a loss of power supply to the Unit 6 area. Significant amounts of dust, combined with the loss of...
Transformer explosion leaves nine injured at power station
Nine people have been injured in an explosion at Eskom’s Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga.
At least one of the injured is in a critical condition.
This as confirmed by the power utility in a statement on Thursday evening.
“[At] approximately 5pm, a transformer explosion occurred at Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga, affecting Unit 6. As a precautionary measure, Unit 5 was taken offline to ensure the safety of all employees and contractors on-site.
“Our technical teams are on-site assessing the situation and will continue to do so throughout the evening and into [today]. The suspension of load shedding remains unchanged. Eskom will issue regular update reports,” the power utility said.
Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, said: “Our first thoughts are with those who have been injured and we are ensuring they get the medical attention they need. All emergency protocols have been activated.” – SAnews.gov.za
NeoB
Fri, 12/13/2024 - 08:53
Thursday, 12 December 2024: This afternoon, at approximately 5:00 PM, a transformer explosion occurred at Matla Power Station in Mpumalanga, affecting Unit 6. As a precautionary measure, Unit 5 was taken offline to ensure the safety of all employees and contractors on-site. Initial reports indicate that 9 employees were injured with one in critical condition....
Thursday, 12 December 2024: Eskom is reminding zero buyers that the grace period for regularising their accounts ends on Friday, 13 December 2024. Eskom has been actively conducting campaigns across various platforms to inform customers about this deadline. Customers who visit Eskom centres by this date and settle any outstanding tamper fines will have their...
Thursday, 12 December 2024: On 11 December 2024 at about 18:30 a 500 MVA transformer at the Midas Substation tripped, disrupting electricity supply to approximately 15 mines in the Carletonville, Fochville, and Potchefstroom areas, as well as to residential customers. Eskom’s technical teams acted swiftly and have managed to restore essential load to the mines,...