There will be no load shedding this year: Eskom
Eskom CEO Phakamani Hadebe says there will be no load shedding this year, despite the group facing coal supply issues at at least six of its power stations.
In a media briefing on Thursday on the state of its power supply, the group said that measures are currently in place to address the coal shortages, and that it has implemented a recovery plan to redirect coal stock.
Eskom has to maintain a coal stockpile of 20 days to avoid crisis – while the supply issues at six stations are below this level, the overall stockpile levels across its operations are at 35 days, it said, excluding Medupi and Kusile power stations.
“The situation cannot be compared to 2008, when the number of stockpile days was at an average of 12 days,” it said.
Further, tenders are currently being evaluated to procure 100Mt of coal needed for the next five years, and to also address the current short-term shortfall, it said, and the group will continue to fast-track the build programme with 6,382 MW to be commissioned over the next 5 years.
According to Eskom, despite the shortfall, its generation has sustained the performance seen in the previous year. Maintenance targets are being met, and the group is spending less on open cycle gas turbine (OCGT) generation – R320 million, down from R340 million last year.
However, OCGTs have been used to maintain generation between December 2017 and March 2018, which is a costly exercise. Eskom said that OCGTs will be needed to meet peak demand in May 2018, and from August to December 2018.
Taking everything into account, and with Eskom’s plans to better manage its network, the much-dreaded load shedding will not return in 2018, Hadebe said.
“While the risk of load shedding always exist, it is not likely to occur this winter, as we implement plans to manage a shift in plant performance and coal-stock levels,” he said.
“We continue to focus efforts on increasing growth in demand of electricity and ensuring sustainable revenue collection. We ask customers to be vigilant of the risks of illegal electricity connections and to report cable and electricity theft,” he said.
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