Eskom takes centre stage with 1 year NO load shedding
Due to a rigorous plant maintenance programme that Eskom has executed over the past year, tomorrow, 9 August, will mark exactly one year without load shedding.
This is due to the adherence of regular scheduled maintenance based on forecasted demand and maintenance requirements and a key aspect of this includes having a strict winter and summer maintenance budget that comprises 8.5GW for winter and 11.5GW for summer.
The resilience of the power system was stress-tested in April this year following multiple trips of units at three power stations, a move that resulted in a loss of 3 535 MW. No load shedding was implemented due to the increased resilience that Eskom has built into the power system over the past few months.
On 1 August 2016, the system experienced the highest peak demand for the year, at 34 922 MW. The demand was met without the need to dispatch Eskom diesel generators and this peak was higher than last year’s peak of 34 481 MW. Whilst improving the performance of the existing ageing fleet on one hand, Eskom says it has also managed fast-tracking the building new generating capacity on the other.
Eskom’s capacity expansion programme has added the following so far:
– 7 364MW of generation capacity
-6 162km of transmission lines
– 32 890MVA of substation capacity to the national grid since 2005
Since inception in 2005, the capacity expansion programme has so far added:
– 7 031MW of generation capacity
– 6 048km of transmission lines
– 31 590 MVA of substation capacity.
Eskom continues to execute its build programme that will bring much-needed power to support South Africa’s economic growth.
- In February this year Unit 1 of the Kusile power station successfully completed factory acceptance tests, an important milestone towards the synchronisation of the unit.
- Medupi’s Unit 5 completed its factory acceptance tests in December last year, and is expected to come into full commercial operation by March 2018.
- The Majuba Rail Project is expected to be completed by December 2017. Once commissioned, the security of coal supply through logistics solutions at both the Majuba and Tutuka power stations will transport approximately 21-million tonnes of coal per year by rail.
- Eskom has successfully completed 5 620 self-funded electrification connections as well as 1 080 farm dweller connections during the course of the 2014/15 financial year. Together with Department of Energy (DoE), Eskom has connected more than 4.6 million households to the national grid since 1991.
