The cost of Eskom’s ageing infrastructure
Eskom’s generation fleet is showing its age, new-build projects have yet to live up to their promise, maintenance backlogs are biting and coal supply is sketchy. It’s a mess
Entering Eskom’s Lethabo power station near Sasolburg feels a bit like an iconic scene from Steven Spielberg’s 1993 classic, Jurassic Park. As movie buffs will recall, the game vehicle enters the park and its occupants marvel at the size and splendour of the prehistoric animals as they emerge. Driving past Lethabo’s six cooling towers evokes a comparable feeling. Up close, the sheer size is staggering. At the base of each tower, water gushes like an epic water feature. Above, white clouds billow out, blending into the dappled Free State sky. Inside unit 3 of the station, the roar of the high-pressure turbine provides a backing track on the way to a control room that, with wall-to-wall wooden panelling, is straight out of the 1980s — which is when Lethabo’s first unit came online. Beyond the control room is the boiler house, about 70m high, that burns 50,000t of pulverised coal every day. PODCAST | The DA didn’t win the 2016 election, as much as the ANC lost it Subscribe: iono.fm |...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.