So far this 12 months, solely three of Eskom’s coal energy stations are consistently producing greater than 2 000 megawatts (MW) of energy, on common.
It has a complete of 14 coal energy stations, of which solely three have complete capability under 2 000MW. Of the remaining 11, seven have producing capability of greater than 3 500MW*. These are large energy plants.
This was revealed by executives from the utility in a presentation to the Mineral Resources and Energy Portfolio Committee in parliament on Friday.
Read: These 4 charts present the Eskom disaster is simply starting
For certain, the pattern interval for that is comparatively quick – simply three weeks (to 22 January) – however the efficiency of Eskom’s producing fleet stays horrendously under par.
In the primary three weeks of the 12 months, the power availability issue (EAF), a measure of accessible producing capability, for its coal models was 48%.
Overall, EAF was 53.3% for the majority of January. This is laughably under its acknowledged 65% goal for 2023/24.
What impacts EAF
EAF is impacted by deliberate upkeep and breakdowns. Eskom has stored the deliberate outage issue elevated at 13.3% of the fleet for this era, a contact increased than the 12.2% achieved within the comparable interval in 2022.
Read: It gained’t get higher for the subsequent 6 to 12 months – Eskom spokesperson
Breakdowns embrace full load losses, outage slips, boiler tube leaks, journeys, and partial load losses. It is the final of these that has been the key contributor to unplanned losses in recent times.
Until October, it had contributed to losses of practically 13% of complete capability. This was adopted by full load losses (practically 10%). Of that 10%, greater than half had been outlined as “major events”, which means giant models (±600MW) being offline for practically a month. At that time, complete unplanned losses equalled 32.2% of put in capability.
Top three
It isn’t any shock that the three that are producing greater than 2 000MW consistently are among the many best-performing stations throughout Eskom’s fleet.
Lethabo, whose supervisor Thomas Conradie is at present performing group head of era, produced (on common) 2 759MW for the primary three weeks of the 12 months (from complete capability of 3 558MW). This equates to an EAF of 77.5%.
Matimba, which has additionally been a ‘dependable’ station traditionally, achieved a really related EAF determine of 74.3%, with 2 742MW being produced out of 3 690MW, on common.
Medupi, the place efficiency has steadily improved over the previous 12 months, achieved common output of 2 075MW (from 3 600MW), which means an EAF of 57.7%. Unit 4 stays offline because it was blown to items simply greater than a month after the ‘official’ completion of all the energy station in 2021. This unit will return by August subsequent 12 months.
Read: Eskom studies blast at Medupi Power Station unit [Aug 2021]
| Power station | MW | EAF | Effective MW |
| Peaking** | 5733 | 88.9% | 5 098 |
| Koeberg | 1 854 | 49.6% | 920 |
| Lethabo | 3 558 | 77.5% | 2 759 |
| Matimba | 3 690 | 74.3% | 2 742 |
| Medupi | 3 600 | 57.7% | 2 075 |
| Camden | 1 481 | 57.5% | 851 |
| Grootvlei | 570 | 56.3% | 321 |
| Kriel | 2 640 | 54.3% | 1 434 |
| Arnot | 2 100 | 51.5% | 1 082 |
| Kendal | 3 840 | 45.5% | 1 748 |
| Majuba | 3 807 | 44.3% | 1 685 |
| Matla | 3 450 | 42.8% | 1 476 |
| Tutuka | 3 510 | 33.3% | 1 170 |
| Kusile | 2 880 | 24.7% | 713 |
| Duvha | 2 875 | 20.7% | 596 |
| Hendrina | 1 098 | 17.9% | 197 |
** Peaking plants embrace pumped storage schemes and open cycle gasoline generators.
One can see from this detailed breakdown (sorted by EAF) simply how shockingly poor the efficiency is at some giant energy stations.
Duvha’s efficiency of 21% is diabolical, as is Tutuka’s at 33%. Duvha was a ±3 600MW six-pack energy plant till Unit 4 exploded in 2011.
Eskom took the insurance coverage payout and determined to not return that unit to service. Duvha Unit 2 stays out of service after a fireplace broke out in June. The unit had been offline since January 2022 for a normal overhaul. It is assumed this unit will return on this monetary 12 months (that’s, earlier than April).
Kusile’s points will likely be detailed in a Moneyweb article later this week.
Selective focus
The six highlighted energy stations above are Eskom’s high six stations of focus.
Maintenance is being prioritised at these plants, as any enhancements will yield the best doable returns (crudely, in megawatts).
In the subsequent six months, Eskom sees practically 2 000MW returning to service from 4 of these energy stations: 600MW from Tutuka, 475MW from Duvha (doubtless Unit 2), 422MW from Matla and 365MW from Kendal.
Remember that Eskom’s upkeep funds is finite and there’s the constraint of time. There could be very little level in investing billions of rands, many months, and the required administration oversight/effort on the three smallest stations within the coal fleet (Grootvlei, Hendrina and Camden). Together, these three stations are in regards to the dimension of one of Eskom’s 3 500/3 600MW plants. (Plus Grootvlei and Camden are performing okay.)
Also, crucially, the restoration of era capability is a consistently transferring goal. Big models will come again on-line in any rolling six-month window. Plus, large models will should be taken offline or, worse, accidents will power them out of service in that very same six-month interval.
The trick is to make sure that high quality upkeep is completed on models to make sure they produce a dependable provide of energy (and to be sure you’re bringing again extra capability than you’re taking offline).
Not even Koeberg can plug the hole.
The nuclear energy station’s EAF gained’t be a lot increased than 60% for the 12 months – that’s if the steam generator substitute at Unit 1 goes in accordance with plan (and it returns in June). Unit 2 will likely be taken offline for a similar work later this 12 months.
It is outrageous that Eskom’s peaking models have a mixed EAF of practically 90%. By definition, pumped storage schemes and OCGTs (open cycle gasoline generators) must solely be used for round a 3rd of the day (for the morning and night peaks).
The pumped storage schemes are getting used as baseload energy all through the day (therefore the upper levels of load shedding in a single day as these require greater than 3 000MW to pump water again to their high dams).
And, of course, we all know simply what number of billions Eskom has spent burning diesel …
* Technically, Matla’s capability is ‘only’ 3 450MW (with nameplate capability of 3 600MW), however let’s not cut up hairs over 50MW.
