By Natasha Prince
A reduction in demand, an increase in coal stockpiles and the general disruptiveness of load-shedding were key to Eskom's decision to suspend load-shedding.
Eskom general manager Andrew Etzinger said on Wednesday that those were the three factors that led to Eskom CEO Jacob Maroga's decision to suspend load-shedding.
He was speaking at a power crisis coping forum, hosted by the SA Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE). The conference was aimed largely at the business community, which has the ability to develop strategies to cope with the power crisis over the next five years and beyond.
The workshop included senior representatives from Eskom, local authorities from the city and some of the country's top engineering experts, business and industrial management, and private consumers.
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He said that from a demand point of view there had been savings of between 5 percent and 8 percent which "was not exactly the expected 10 percent" but would provide sufficient relief. In terms of coal supplies, about a 15 percent coal stockpile was recovered.
"Load-shedding is generally disruptive and has always been considered a last resort, so when the first opportunity presented itself to review the situation we took it." If they restarted load-shedding the utility would provide ample notification.
Etzinger was questioned about coal exports to China and India. He said coal was available and that 75 percent of additional coal recovery would hold well into the future. They were exporting to China and India, but pricing was the major factor.
SAIEE former president Ian McKechnie said the workshop aimed to provide business and private consumers with advice on self-help strategies. He warned that the session was not an Eskom or City of Cape Town bashing session.
He said the problems reached far beyond generating capacity, as there had been constraints in the past few months, and that the people in the Western Cape were particularly affected by transmission problems.
He highlighted problems at smaller municipalities saying that general findings such as insufficient refurbishment, underskilled staff and "poor housekeeping" affected services.
Etzinger provided a summary of the utilities' findings from January. The presentation showed unprecedented load-shedding, very low coal stockpiles and the risk of system collapse during January.
Between February and March there had not been much headway on coal supplies, and a cut back on consumption by 10 percent. There was no load-shedding during that time. In April he said a task team was formulated at municipalities to implement the 10 percent saving plan.
Top engineering practitioner Professor Willie Cronje, from Wits University's School of Electrical and Information Engineering, emphasised that there was no balance between what was being generated and what was consumed. He suggested alternative electrical and energy solutions.
- This article was originally published on page 8 of Cape Argus on May 08, 2008
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