Durban wants to produce own electricity

05 A waitress stands and waits for trade in a Nuno's shop.Open for trade ,business as usual for a Nino's franchise at Bank City JHB CBD. Power outage due to a electrical fire at a sub station in JHB CBD . Picture: Antoine de Ras. 28/07/09

05 A waitress stands and waits for trade in a Nuno's shop.Open for trade ,business as usual for a Nino's franchise at Bank City JHB CBD. Power outage due to a electrical fire at a sub station in JHB CBD . Picture: Antoine de Ras. 28/07/09

Published Jan 28, 2015

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Durban -

As Eskom struggles to deal with its problems, the eThekwini Municipality is researching the possibility of using landfill sites to produce its own electricity, which would be enough to provide 20% of the city’s needs.

Eskom recently said its blackout schedule would carry on for the next two years, for two hours at a time, and possibly even twice a day.

The move to expand local power production was revealed during the sitting of the council’s executive committee at the Durban City Hall on Tuesday.

The municipality’s business continuity senior manager, Justice Nepfumbada, presented a report to the committee, which revealed that an ad hoc committee on load shedding had been established. It would conduct a feasibility study on the possibility of the city’s producing its own electricity.

Speaker Logie Naidoo said mayor James Nxumalo would soon call a series of meetings with communities, engineers, businesses and scientists to discuss the issue of alternative electricity.

He said the municipal landfill site in Springfield was producing power that was supplied to 300 households a day.

A landfill site in Mariannhill, outside Pinetown, was also producing electricity.

“We have other landfill sites in Ntshongweni and Verulam. If we combine all of them, we can produce 20% (of requirements). We are also looking at solar power and ocean wind,” he said.

“Some of our hospitals and clinics do not have back-up generators. We are also encouraging businesses to consider purchasing generators.”

Deputy mayor Nomvuzo Shabalala said alternative electricity production was high on the city’s agenda.

“The load-shedding task team is going to establish the costs and also find out if there are any national regulations restricting the municipality from producing its own power,” she said.

It was reported on Tuesday that Eskom admitted facing worsening problems with its generators.

While exco councillors were busy deliberating the committee room went dark for two hours.

Most traffic lights in the CBD were off for hours, while some malls were temporarily closed.

The report, presented by Nepfumbada, stated that load shedding had caused disruption of traffic flow, water supply and waste treatment. He said business and health institutions were among sectors that were badly affected.

“Disruption will result in sewage waste flowing into the surrounding rivers, leading to contamination.”

He said the situation had:

- Delayed emergency services.

- Slowed economic activities.

- Placed hospital patients at risk.

- Caused traffic gridlock in the CBD.

Municipal spokesman Thabo Mofokeng said yesterday that the municipality and local businesses would hold an energy efficiency workshop at the Botanic Gardens at 8am on Wednesday.

He said the aim was to improve energy efficiency in companies through free energy audits, training and other services.

Naidoo said the municipality was also facing a severe drought, and the municipality was rolling out tanks to rural areas.

He said wealthy homeowners in Durban suburbs should either get tanks to collect rainwater or sink boreholes.

The Mercury

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