Eskom sweats, again

The national supply of electricity remains tight, Eskom said yesterday as it asked South Africans to use their air-conditioning sparingly this summer.

Eskom also fears there are insufficient diesel supplies to keep the power grid stable.

However, DA MP Gordon Mackay warned that Eskom had already overspent its diesel budget of R2-billion by R8-billion, and said the rest of the economy could suffer if Eskom's prediction of diesel shortages proved true.

Briefing parliament's portfolio committee on energy yesterday, the power provider said construction work was progressing at Medupi power station outside Lephalale, Limpopo, after worker attendance hit between 40% and 70% during a labour strike in July.

The power plant is expected to add 0.35% to GDP, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown told parliament, Reuters reported.

Eskom said that the first unit of the new coal-fired plant would link up with the grid on December 24, a sign that the delayed project is finally on track for completion.

Disciplinary action against contractors whose workers caused disruptions is envisaged, although DA MP Lance Greyling pointed out that, in the end, it is the consumer rather than the contractor who will have to pay for cost overruns at Medupi and its sister plant, Kusile, in Mpumalanga.

The biggest problems Eskom reported from the building sites included welding defects, issues with control and instrumentation, and safety performance.

Defective and sub-standard welds need to be retreated or redone and contractors have had to revisit and correct their data books to ensure compliant and adequate quality control.

All boiler repair work has now been completed and safety performance and behaviour has improved, Eskom reported.

The utility said the system will remain on a knife-edge this summer , in part because of maintenance requirements.

In the winter months just passed, partial load losses were reduced, and renewable energy, including wind-powered electricity, was added to the grid.

No additional renewable energy sources are expected to come on line in the coming months.

Problems with the grid could delay a third round of electricity from independent power producers from coming on line, Business Day reported earlier this month.

Summer risks include high vacuum load losses, deteriorating coal quality, heavy rain and wet coal, Eskom said.