Eskom signed Phase 2 of the Eskom Power Plant Engineering Institute (EPPEI) funding agreement in July. Through the programme, the State-owned power utility has committed R155-million to execute and enhance eight interuniversity programmes in South Africa, integrating research efforts and creating synergy between academic research and practical application to tackle interdisciplinary technical challenges at Eskom.

Phase 2 of the EPPEI programme, which will run from 2017 to 2021, aims to fund 300 master’s and PhD graduates, as well as focus on upskilling 1 000 students with BTech qualifications and artisanal skills.

The programme primarily targets Eskom engineers and seeks to enhance the utility’s niche engineering skills within nine specialisation centres.

These included energy efficiency at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU); combustion engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of Johannesburg; emissions control at North-West University, the Vaal University of Technology and the University of Venda; materials science and mechanics at UCT and NMMU; asset management at the University of Pretoria and Tshwane University of Technology; high-voltage engineering at Wits and Vaal University of Technology; high-voltage engineering and flexible alternating current transmission systems at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Durban University of Technology; renewable energy at Stellenbosch University and the Cape Peninsula University of Technology; and nuclear engineering.

The launch of EPPEI Phase 2 will be a flagship initiative ensuring the all-inclusive development of engineering skills and specialisation within the energy sector.

“We, at Eskom, are excited and gearing ourselves for positioning Eskom as one of the five top-performing utilities globally and we envisage ourselves as having the most versatile and robust engineering capabilities on the African continent,” stays Eskom group executive of generation and technology Matshela Koko.

He adds that specialised skills developed through the EPPEI programme will continue to help Eskom deal with the challenges of managing ageing power stations, while delivering on the utility’s new-build projects.

“With the synergies between the various universities, original-equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Eskom, EPPEI Phase 2 is destined for outstanding results,” he says.

Phase 1 of the EPPEI programme, which got under way in 2012, saw Eskom invest R129-million to initially fund the eight specialisation centres, which resulted in 134 publications and 44 Eskom employees graduating with master’s degrees.

The utility is currently sponsoring a learner pipeline of 1 537 artisans, 864 engineers, 373 plant operators and 472 technicians at a cost of R123-million.

Committed to supporting the sustainability of the power industry within South Africa, Eskom has also supported 908 employees performing engineering work through further studies, at a cost of R32-million over the last five years.

In addition to the EPPEI investment, Phase 1 saw Eskom invest R75-million into South African universities’ research and testing funds.