Transnet is working with Eskom to reduce the ailing power utility’s costs by increasing the supply of coal delivered by rail and improving the quality and reliability of the primary feedstock for its thermal plants.
Browsing: Energy and sustainability
South Africa should establish a new entity that would generate electricity and reduce the nation’s reliance on state utility Eskom, mineral resources & energy minister Gwede Mantashe said.
Eskom’s new CEO, André de Ruyter, hopes to regain South Africa’s trust by addressing operational stability at the power utility.
Eskom will implement rolling blackouts until at least Thursday, the failing, government-owned electricity utility said on Sunday.
Eskom has warned South Africans to brace for more frequent power cuts as it halts the deferral of planned maintenance. The rand weakened as a result.
Eskom will resume cutting 2GW from the South African grid at 9am on Friday until 6am on Monday due to a shortage of generation capacity and depleted emergency resources.
Eskom is gauging interest from companies to develop and build small modular reactors using so-called pebble-bed technology and supplying the fuel they would need.
Cosatu, a key ruling party ally, is pushing senior members of government to consider its proposals to rescue the state’s indebted power utility before next month’s budget.
Rolling blackouts will return to South Africa on Thursday evening, Eskom said in a statement. The stage-2 load shedding will take place between 9pm and 6am on Friday.
South African mining companies plan to build 609MW of electricity generating capacity, if they can get official approval for the projects.