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Thread: Eskom threatening rolling blackouts?

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    Diamond Member wynn's Avatar
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    Eskom threatening rolling blackouts?

    Wouldn't it be easier to just shut down the aluminium smelters that export their product and only supply smelters that produce for SA consumption??
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    The disadvantage of having no major elections this year

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    Diamond Member Blurock's Avatar
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    So did they once again forget to buy coal?
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    I think it's because they are forced to catch up on all the scheduled maintenance they didn't do while under threat of severe repercussions if there were blackouts. You can only put off that stuff so long.

    And of course, with a stretched maintenance routine, there'll be more incidents of "unplanned" outages too (breakdowns).

    The one thing I'm quite curious about is how the load reduction program is going. They're spending a small fortune in energy efficiency subsidies - how much has it reduced the load?

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    Email problem Missnancyalex's Avatar
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    Hay guys you are not alone every third world country is facing this situation it does not mean that they don’t have resources; mismanagement of Leadership of the country is the only reason for energy or other such kind of crisis.

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    Diamond Member tec0's Avatar
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    The truth is there power-stations are falling apart. See thanks to the high power demands of industry Eskom didn't do enough maintenance. Now how this work is actually very simple.

    Eskom sells power to company A now if company A doesn't get power they get money from Eskom and call this money a penalty… Now we the public end up paying for that penalty but that are beside the point.

    So in order for Eskom to avoid penalties they produce electicity and don't do maintenance thus when maintenance eventually gets done the public pay for company A in the form of penalties AND because of the extra strain on the system other generators also fail meaning more penalties being paid by Eskom AKA the public.

    So all company A had to do is to keep applying pressure and they WILL get paid regardless… A wonderful system for company A but not so much for Eskom and the public at large.
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    Diamond Member wynn's Avatar
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    My point is why inconvenience the millions of domestic users when a few well placed cut offs will relieve the pressure and only inconvenience a few hundred users?
    So pay them the penalties if they are entitled but why should I be inconvenienced? I am going to pay either way!

    The argument that if you cut off the aluminium smelter the core solidifies and costs a hell of a lot to restart? surely it will be possible to keep the smallest core liquid while halting the huge demand for production until the pressure is off the system then they can go into full production again during off peak time?

    Also they can force municipalities to reduce the number of street lights and ripple the relays for geysers as required, also put the pool pumps and air conditioners that are working during peak demand periods on the same relays, they ask you to switch these off anyway so why not just have them connected through the same relay as the geyser?
    "Nobody who has succeeded has not failed along the way"
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    Diamond Member Justloadit's Avatar
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    Hi Wyn,

    Not so easy to put a smelter into a standby mode and started again, it takes a week to get the line fully operational again, so it effectively means the plant never starts. Now a smelter plant probably costs a few million Rand an hour to run, just stopping it for a few hours could close the respective company down in losses, not taking into consideration the ripple effect down the line of users of the said raw material.

    The problem here is that ESKOM management did not have the foresight of planning ahead of time. Our government only reacts when the shit has hit the fan, never mind trying to prevent it from happening, as it can not be seen at that stage.

    Our leaders still need to look in the long term, but then again if I get into government to make a quick buck, you can see what long term planning is not going to take place.
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    Site Caretaker Dave A's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Missnancyalex View Post
    Hay guys you are not alone every third world country is facing this situation
    It's official - we're a third world country now

    Emerging market sounds so much better, although I suppose that implies things are getting bigger and better

    Quote Originally Posted by Justloadit View Post
    The problem here is that ESKOM management did not have the foresight of planning ahead of time.
    Whoah! Stop the bus!

    It wasn't ESKOM management that didn't have the foresight - they took the need for new power stations to government in good time. It was the top brass of the ANC that screwed this up. They had more important things to do, like make some money off the arms deal.

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