Superwatt Global Power

Latest news

POWER SUPPLY CRISIS MAY LEAD TO DEMAND CRISIS

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Henry Lazenby

State-owned power utility Eskom was sticking to its warning on Wednesday that there may be a 9 TWh shortfall in electricity supply during 2012, despite a far lower-than-expected recovery in electricity demand, owing to the slowed recovery of the domestic economy.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Mining Weekly Online
written by Martin Creamer

RICHARDS BAY (miningweekly.com) – BHP Billlton’s aluminium business in Richards Bay has voluntarily put 130 MW back into the South African power grid.

BHP Billiton South Africa communications and external affairs VP Johnny Dladla told a visiting media contingent hosted by Aluminium South Africa asset president Gustav Griessel that the company is one of the few in South Africa that cut electricity consumption but did not claw it back.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Terence Creamer

State-owned power utility Eskom has indicated that it favours a transition to a competitive bidding, or contractual, model for the large-scale procurement of low-pressure solar water heaters (SWH) ahead of a continuation of the current rebate scheme, or the deployment of a so-called ‘standard offer’ incentive.

The utility argues that such an approach should provide the offtake certainty being sought by both suppliers and financiers and support the country’s aspiration of rolling out one-million solar geysers by 2014/15, in an effort to achieve power savings equal to between 3 000 MW and 3 500 MW.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Terence Creamer

The head of State-owned power utility Eskom finally acknowledged on Tuesday that the first unit of the 4 800 MW Medupi power station, which is being developed at a cost of some R125-billion in the Limpopo province, might not be introduced by the end of 2012 as currently scheduled.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Terence Creamer

Mining group BHP Billiton has confirmed that it has lodged an application for leave to appeal to the South Gauteng High Court, in Johannesburg, to challenge an earlier order that State-owned power utility Eskom release information relating to negotiated power pricing arrangements relating to the Hillside and Mozal aluminium smelters, in South Africa and Mozambique.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Terence Creamer

South Africa’s electricity prices, which have more or less doubled from an average real level of 25c/kWh in 2008 to the current level of 50 c/kWh, were approaching an affordability “tipping point”, the Energy Intensive User Group (EIUG) cautioned again on Monday.

Chairperson Mike Rossouw said that coordinated regulatory, policy and investment efforts were required to moderate the price path to mitigate further deindustrialisation and to ensure that the policy aspiration of extracting further value from the country’s minerals ahead of export could be achieved.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Tracy Hancock

State-owned power utility Eskom reported on Thursday that planned outage requirements for its summer maintenance season would exceed the available capacity, resulting in the use of costly liquid-fuel open-cycle gas turbines. This would increase reliance on demand side management.

ESKOM WARNS OF TIGHT SUPPLY IN SUMMER

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Fin24.com
written by Reuters

Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom said on Wednesday that its upcoming summer season would be challenging as it ramped up maintenance at its power plants, but said it was not issuing any blackout warnings.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Engineering News Online
written by Brindaveni Naidoo

As South African coal workers walked off the job this weekend to demand higher wages, power utility Eskom said on Monday that it had contingency plans in place, but that a protracted strike could risk power supply.

ANGLO: ESKOM MAY RUN OUT OF COAL

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Fin24.com
written by I-Net Bridge

Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom could run out of domestic coal in the long term if there is no infrastructure development, Anglo American's head of regional strategy Ian Hall said on Tuesday.