In March the North Gauteng High Court declared Eskom’s R3.7-billion contract with Tegeta Mining unlawful and invalid. “But nothing could be further from the truth.”. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay in touch with the latest news! terms & conditions and privacy policy. “Eskom has had to extensively utilise the emergency generation reserves, which are being rapidly depleted. Tuesday, 07 January 2020: Eskom has not applied to the National Energy Regulator of South Africa (NERSA) for R1.8 billion to pay performance bonuses, as reported in a Sunday newspaper. With this in mind, in June Eskom established a Just Energy Transition project office, the first in South Africa. “But removing R250-billion from the balance sheet is ultimately a shareholder issue. he DA would continue to push for the adoption of its Private Members’ Bill, the Independent Electricity Management Operator Bill, which would allow metropolitan municipalities such as the City of Cape Town, that have the financial capacity and technical capability to procure electricity from whomever they please, without requiring a ministerial determination. Award winning actor Menzi Ngubane dies after stroke, Shwashwi’s burning questions for SA celebs, Shwashwi: Expectation that SABC cash will be returned is wishful thinking, Shwashwi: Celebreties answer quickly, I’ve some luxury cars to hide. Shwashwi: Hot mgosi and celebs – A great week to celebrate... Straight & 2 Beers: A year on SA still battles Covid-19, Zola 7 won’t pay up, say spaza shop owners, Serge “The International Blesser” Caponge regrets his past, Actor Mashigo’s children not invited to low-key wedding, Sponsored: Conservative vs modern ways to get additional income, Mpumalanga continues investments in education. Bad news for load-shedding – Eskom in serious trouble Eskom accounts for two-fifths of South Africa’s greenhouse-gas emissions and has spectacularly failed to implement measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, CEO Andre de Ruyter insists that the company is not a climate change denialist. Shifting to a more sustainable business model is just one of the balls currently being juggled in a year in which De Ruyter says management “has had the kitchen sink thrown at it”. According to the statement released on Wednesday, stage 2 load shedding has been sparked by continued poor performance at the Kusile, Duvha and Tutuka power stations, as well as delays in returning some other units to service and breakdowns over the last week. Signed in March 2015, it stipulated that Tegeta would supply coal to Eskom’s Majuba power station for 10 years. South Africans were spared the brunt of Eskom’s … Removing advertising from your browsing experience is one of them - we don't just block ads, we redesign our pages to look smarter and load faster. Based on last year’s trend, the average EAF delivered by Eskom for the year to date does not bode well for load-shedding in South Africa. Johannesburg – Eskom has announced it will implement stage 2 load shedding from 5pm this evening until 11pm on Friday. The goal is to move this to 70% in 2021, 72% in 2022 and 74% in 2033. “Eskom will continue to assess and communicate promptly as the situation changes,” the company said. “We are doing what we can within our remit.” DM/BM, Please sign in or register to enable this feature. However, he adds that Eskom is working on an alternative plan to expedite the process, which is subject to board and shareholder approval. Within the next few months, Eskom will seek authorisation from its board and government to initiate a formal bidding process for the repurposing and repowering of the Camden, Komati, Grootvlei and Hendrina coal-fired power stations using lower-carbon generation technologies, according to this article. Load shedding update, Thursday 10 September 2020: Eskom suspends load shedding Load shedding has made an ominous return. This is easier than s, elling shares in an entity that has R450-billion of debt. Eskom is also working with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to relook at the cost of Independent Power Producer contracts. With this in mind, Eskom is examining its major contracts and recently took steps to cancel a five-year, R14-billion fuel oil contract with Econ Oil & Energy, which was renewed in 2019. A case in point is the planned 2GW Al Dhafra solar farm in Abu Dhabi, mooted to be the world’s largest, where the cost of electricity will be an unheard-of 1.35 US cents per kWh. “This is an astonishingly low number and is indicative of where this technology can go,” says De Ruyter. , it needs to transform its centralised, top-heavy business model urgently. By ANA Reporter Feb 2, 2020 Johannesburg - Stage 2 load shedding will continue on Sunday until 6am on Monday morning, embattled state-owned power utility Eskom said. Eskom: Brace for stage 2 load-shedding all night 29 December 2020 - 15:43 By TimesLIVE Eskom has confirmed it will implement stage 2 load-shedding all night on Tuesday and again on Wednesday night. There are many great benefits to being a Maverick Insider. Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd is a South African … Fundudzi Media (Pty) Ltd. All rights reserved. 2,001 were here. “The news flow is that we are going slow on restructuring,” he says. “Eskom fleet EAF is on a declining trend and drove load-shedding events in 2020,” the CSIR noted. NEWS At Solar Bay we like to keep our clients as informed as possible and below we have placed a variety of informative and relevant news articles below including regular updates from Eskom. 2GW Al Dhafra solar farm in Abu Dhabi, mooted to be the world’s largest, where the cost of electricity will be an unheard-of 1.35 US cents per kWh. “To encourage private investment we need to restructure ourselves in a way that private investment could take place in generation. Unit 6 was completed in June. Work continues on units 1,2,4 and 5 and commercial operation of the final unit, unit 1, is expected in Q4 of 2021. The North Gauteng Division of the High Court referred the matter between the City of Cape Town and the Minister of Energy and National Energy Regulator back to the Intergovernmental Dispute Resolution Framework. The MYPD4 application made by Eskom for the three year period did not … Currently, energy availability is at 65%, which is “far too low”. On the people front, the company quietly said goodbye to 300 managers who took voluntary severance packages earlier in 2020, a small start. © 1999–2020 “We have to take certain units down to complete our mid-life maintenance programme. Click here to see other benefits and to sign-up to our reader community supporting quality, independent journalism. Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., South Africa’s monopoly power utility, shuffled some senior managers weeks after missing its own target for restricting power outages. In the process, it achieved some significant milestones. Eskom says it is working around the clock to replenish emergency generation reserves. De Ruyter warns that consumers should expect load shedding to get worse before it gets better. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Of course, Eskom’s R450-billion debt overhang is never far from management’s mind. This will develop the business plans necessary to ensure the company leads the way in enabling the transition from a coal-fired and outdated business model to one that is more sustainable and green, De Ruyter says, while also addressing the socio-economic challenges implicit in the transition. Units 2 and 3 are expected to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2021, making a big difference to grid supply. The CSIR has released its annual statistics on power generation in South Africa for 2020, showing how Eskom is in deep trouble. Eskom continues load-shedding on Friday Friday 12 March 2021 - 9:02am 30 April 2015 A screenshot from YouTube uploader Eric Nathans time-lapse video of … Read more: Eskom results indicate financial and operational ups and downs Members of the public and stakeholders who wish to attend or present their views at any of the public hearings must submit their request to publichearings@nersa.org.za by 15:30 on 27 January 2020. The image below provides an overview of Eskom’s CEOs, interim CEOs, and acting CEOs between 1985 and 2020. The business models are at an advanced stage, while the role of the “Centre” has been clarified, he says. Select which newsletters you'd like to receive, Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter. (Photo: Freddy Mavunda / Financial Mail). According to Eskom’s weekly system status update, it had an installed capacity of 47,000MW at the start of 2020. Of course, it is a policy question, but we think private sector participation is better in. According to the State-owned utility, it is currently running on 6 212MW on planned maintenance, while another 11 217MW of capacity is unavailable due to breakdowns and delays. 11th December 2020 11th December 2020 by Bernice Maune The Zondo Commission has once more been caught in a rigmarole around how Brian Molefe was appointed Eskom CEO in 2015 . The closest South Africa comes to this is R0.91 per kWh achieved in bid round 4. Eskom said when it declares stage 4 load-shedding; it can request any major industrial consumer, such as mines and smelters, to curtail up to 20% of load. Of course, restoring maintenance to ordinary levels brings a direct benefit in terms of costs because the company regularly turns to its “last resort” open-cycle gas turbines, which burn about R3.5-billion to R4-billion worth of diesel a year. But Dabengwa accused De Ruyter of misleading the Eskom board at its meeting on March 25 2020 … The case related to the City’s application for a Section 34 ministerial determination to allow it to procure electricity directly from Independent Power Producers. From midnight on Friday, 3 April 2020, Eskom will add Koeberg Unit 2 to units taken off the grid. While disclosing the company’s financial status, Eskom started by noting that in the financial year ended March 2020, the group experienced significant operational and financial challenges, resulting in Stage 6 loadshedding during December 2019 … Bianca Goodson, the courageous Eskom whistleblower who lifted the lid on its corrupt dealings with Trillian, has broken her silence about being left in the lurch after her sensational evidence in September 2016. “We need to sort this out. “Climate change is a risk that we are all facing and we must adjust,” he told an online audience at a Cape Town Press Club event on Tuesday. But private-sector generation cannot happen without enabling legislation, which is outside Eskom’s control. Taking a knife to Eskom’s bloated cost base has been a key focus area, starting with the primary energy bill. Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa. Load shedding status We are currently not Load Shedding due to high demand or urgent maintenance being performed at certain power stations. We will use the weekend to replenish our dam levels for pumped storage schemes and diesel for open cycle gas turbines as they were used extensively during the week. Of course, it is a policy question, but we think private sector participation is better in generation.”. “We are making good progress in legally separating Eskom into its three parts and we have carefully mapped out the activities that must take place to legally separate the Transmission entity from the system and market operator. De Ruyter acknowledges that this process has been delayed. Coal contracts are also under the spotlight as Eskom spends R57-billion a year on coal, 51% of its costs. In this regard, private sector involvement in generation suffered a setback on Tuesday. This resulted in stage 4 load shedding, damaging SA’s fragile economy and human psyche even further. “The Minister could, at any time, have rendered this case moot by responding to or deciding on the City’s application,” he says. “It is disappointing in that it further delays the City’s ability to provide electricity and to alleviate the impact of rolling blackouts on its residents,” says Kevin Mileham, the DA’s shadow minister of Mineral Resources and Energy. Involving the private sector in power generation is imperative. But if we don’t do this, the risk will just get worse.”. Saturday, 1 February 2020: Eskom is currently implementing Stage 2 rotational loadshedding and will continue until 6:00 on Monday owing to system constraints and our depleted emergency resources. Koeberg Unit 2 is scheduled to return to service by 30 April 2020, if not called before then. Almost in parallel the company experienced a catastrophic IT system failure and the country went into hard lockdown, resulting in a significant fall in electricity demand. This comes as the power … This is one of several legal victories in recent months. Former Eskom CEO Matshela Koko has told the commission of inquiry into state capture that former Eskom legal head Suzanne Daniels had lied to the commission many times. This is easier than selling shares in an entity that has R450-billion of debt. “There is a probability that load shedding may be implemented at short notice should any further breakdowns occur before then,” Eskom warned. Source: Eskom Weekly System Status 2020 week 1 (30/12/2019 – 05/01/2020). Eskom announces Stage 2 load-shedding Wednesday 10 March 2021 - 7:30pm Eskom's Generations Stations Capacity screen monitors each power station and unit for electricity production. “There are decisions that must be made by Nersa and others – that are out of our control.”. That said, keeping the lights on remains a challenge given the cold weather conditions and the gradual normalisation of economic demand. In April 2020 South Africa’s stated-owned electricity utility Eskom sent a pre-cautionary force-majeure notification to Exxaro Limited’s Grootegeluk Coal Mine. The company has previously stated that with a significantly reduced debt of R200-billion, a closing cash balance of R30-billion and an earnings margin of 35% it could become financially sustainable. Eskom supplies more than 90 percent of the power in South Africa but has suffered repeated faults at its coal-fired power stations, along with low water levels at hydroelectric plants, diesel shortages and loss of imports from Mozambique This period of load shedding will be used to replenish the emergency generation reserves.”. For instance, unit 3 at Medupi has reached full capacity after a 75-day outage for boiler plant modifications to design defects. Eskom has said that the contract, awarded in 2019, was canned because of “serious irregularities”. To determine the time/s that you will be affected, please view the Schedule for your area. The utility has reminded citizens that it will continue to implement reliability maintenance during this period, as the system is still constrained which is elevates the possibility of more load shedding. Over the past year, Eskom’s power generation fleet delivered an average EAF of 65%, with the lowest figure of 51.7% being recorded on 31 December 2020. The initial application for a Section 34 was made five years ago. Although Eskom accounts for two-fifths of South Africa’s greenhouse-gas emissions and has spectacularly failed to implement measures to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, CEO Andre de Ruyter insists that the company is not a climate change denialist. The cost of solar energy is falling steeply, making nuclear and coal-fired power among the more expensive forms of energy available. The DA would continue to push for the adoption of its Private Members’ Bill, the Independent Electricity Management Operator Bill, which would allow metropolitan municipalities such as the City of Cape Town, that have the financial capacity and technical capability to procure electricity from whomever they please, without requiring a ministerial determination. Eskom is also working with the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy to relook at the cost of Independent Power Producer contracts. “Climate change and the decreasing cost of renewable energy have proven the case for the shift to renewable energy,” he says. Eskom CEOs – 1985 to 2020. Eskom has also warned that power outages may spill over to the weekend, depending on plants returning to service from planned maintenance and levels of the emergency generation reserves. This comes as the power utility suffered the loss of generation capacity. Latest News At Solar Bay November 2020 Johannesburg – Eskom has announced it will implement stage 2 load shedding from 5pm this evening until 11pm on Friday. (Updates throughout with detail on Eskom’s operations and challenges. “This will achieve the objective in less than two years.”. We have full political backing, particularly from the deputy president,” says De Ruyter. What was bad for Eskom’s already parlous revenue was good for the maintenance programme and Eskom doubled up on routine maintenance. Eskom announced disappointing financial results for the financial year ended March 2020.The power utility says its unsustainable debt burden led to net finance cost of R31.2 billion, which resulted in a net loss of R20.5 billion. In addition, design flaws at the Ingula pumped storage scheme have been rectified and construction at Kusile has recommenced. “Eskom requests the public to continue using electricity sparingly, as the system remains vulnerable and unpredictable, and we will communicate timeously should there be any significant changes to the power system.”, Also read: Bushiri’s lawyer suing the police for R15m over unlawful arrest. However, these will be able to return to service at short notice, should the need arise. “To encourage private investment we need to restructure ourselves in a way that private investment could take place in generation. In March, the company was forced to shut down Unit 1 at Koeberg, South Africa’s only well-maintained power station, due to ingress of seawater. But if Eskom is to avoid the infamous death spiral, it needs to transform its centralised, top-heavy business model urgently. The business has been “divisionalised” into Generation, Transmission and Distribution, and each has its own board and delegated authority. Published on March 9, 2021, 2:15 AM EST Updated on March 9, 2021, 5:55 AM EST Highlights of SONA 2020 The EFF's Julius Malema stalled proceedings of SONA 2020 right from the start, with a request that former president FW de Klerk leave the chambers. The closing date for written comments is 20 January 2020 at 16:00. As we take these units down, there is a risk of load shedding. The capacity number shifts weekly depending on which units are online and offline, with planned maintenance necessary at every turbine eventually. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our To Subscribe to Sunday World, click here. Within the next few months, Eskom will seek authorisation from its board and government to initiate a formal bidding process for the repurposing and repowering of the Camden, Komati, Grootvlei and Hendrina coal-fired power stations using lower-carbon generation technologies, according to. “We are doing what we can within our remit.”, Department of Mineral Resources and Energy.