Plant maintenance can trigger load-shedding, Eskom warns
Eskom will attempt to avoid load-shedding in the coming summer months, the power utility said on Wednesday. It has now been 164 days since the last bout of load-shedding.
However, plant maintenance which often takes place during the summer time may trigger outages, the utility said as it presented its status report of the electricity system.
"Most of our power stations are in need of maintenance to improve reliability... we do our best to strike the right balance between plant maintenance and keeping the lights on," said Eskom chairperson and acting CEO Jabu Mabuza.
"While the risk of load-shedding always exists, we remain confident that we are on the right course," said Mabuza, who assumed the acting CEO role following the resignation of Phakamani Hadebe.
The utility, whose rising debt which is threatening public finances, has put in place a 9-point "recovery plan", in a bid to clean up its crippling operational challenges.
It reported a net loss after tax of R20.7-billion for the 2019 financial year, with outstanding municipal debt rising to some R20-billion.
Chief financial officer Caleb Cassim says Eskom currently owes R450-billion, and needs to raise R46-billion.
The company said there has been significant contribution from both commercial and non-commercial units among power stations, with non commercial units delivering over 1 000 MW in the last six months.
Chief operating officer, Jan Oberhozer, says all of its power stations had "healthy levels" of coal stockpiles, except for one facility.
"We got lots of coal, now we need to deal with the quality," he said.
Article Enquiry
Email Article
Save Article
Feedback
To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Rooted in the hearts of South Africans, combining technology and a quest for perfection to bring you a battery of peerless standing. Willard...
VISIT SHOWROOM
The Steel Tube Export Association of South Africa was established to develop sustainable, internationally competitive carbon steel tube and pipe...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
