Eskom, the good, bad and ugly this week

Buckling national power utility Eskom is currently struggling to keep the lights on with the country currently under Stage 2 power cuts until Friday.

A delay in the return of two generating units at Camden, one unit at Kendal and Matimba power stations have contributed to the current generation shortages.

While generation reserves were expected to be the only challenge with hope for reduced, to no load shedding stages, Eskom announced a section of the Kusile Unit 1 gas duct, exiting the sulphur dioxide failed while the unit was on forced shut down for repairs.

The power utility said investigations were underway to establish the cause of failure and to check the extent of the damage.

Eskom says the unit may remain offline for a few months with feedback on progress expected in the next few weeks.

Eskom said: “Access to the area has also been restricted as part of precautionary measures.”

“Consultations with various specialist stakeholders, including the original equipment manufacturer, are in progress to determine best course of action to restore the plant as quickly as possible.

“The ducts are made from steel sections welded together and surrounded by a windshield, which is made of reinforced concrete that also houses the unit 2 and unit 3 flue gas ducts.”

There’s power utility appears to be ailing during signaling a dark festive season ahead.

Buckling infrastructure, poorly skilled staff, lack of training and alleged corruption remain some of the challenges faced by the power utility.

Meanwhile, Eskom has considered extending the lifespan of the Koeberg nuclear power station.

The Koeberg nuclear power station’s license expires next year and the board has proposed to extend it’s lifespan by replacing key areas of the plant such as steam generators.

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