Load shedding looms again as Eskom scrambles for coal supplies
The shortages are partly due to the Gupta mines that have gone into business rescue
Eskom is scrambling to get supplies of coal to six power stations where stockpiles are critically low‚ raising concern about the parastatal’s ability to feed power into the national grid. Energy analyst Chris Yelland raised a red flag on Monday when he revealed reports about "alarming coal supply problems at numerous Eskom coal-fired power stations in Mpumalanga". "Eskom has been relying on emergency‚ diesel-driven‚ open-cycle gas turbines regularly to meet demand this year," he wrote on the website EE Publishers. "The latest coal supply reports suggest that Eskom’s current coal supply problems are as serious as‚ if not worse than, those that existed in SA shortly before the load shedding of 2008." He said coal stockpiles were low at the Arnot‚ Camden‚ Hendrina‚ Komati‚ Kriel‚ Majuba and Tutuka power stations. Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe confirmed on Tuesday that coal was being diverted to six power stations that had shortages. Three of them were supplied by Gupta-owned Tegeta. Sp...
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