State-owned electricity producer Eskom has confirmed that it has in fact tabled the option to take a 30% shareholding in boiler-service contractors Steinmuller, Actom and Babcock in return for a portion of an order book valued at around R30-billion. The three contractors are responsible for outage and maintenance repair services for boiler pressure parts at 15 Eskom power stations. The move surprised many observers, but Eskom insisted that it had never been presented as a “non-negotiable” position.