- The DA has called on Eskom to implement the recommendations contained in the report on coal-fired power stations.
- The Treasury/VGBE report provides a realistic diagnosis of what has gone wrong at Eskom’s power stations.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) has called on Eskom to implement the recommendations in a report on the performance of South Africa’s coal-fired power stations.
German consultants from VGBE Energy conducted assessments and consultations over three months last year on behalf of the National Treasury. The report urged an improvement in operations and maintenance at Kusile and Medupi. They also recommended expanding the grid.
The DA’s Shadow Electricity Minister Samantha Graham-Mare says the suggestions can improve generation capacity.
The Treasury/VGBE report provides a realistic diagnosis of what has gone wrong at Eskom’s power stations and the evidence-based interventions needed to improve generation output, namely Partnering with Original Equipment Manufacturers to run plants like Medupi and Kusile to ensure a continuous improvement process.
She noted that urgent decentralisation is needed to devolve management responsibility to the power plant level. The report states this empowerment includes full budget responsibility and the Power Station General Manager’s accountability.
Graham-Mare said that to reduce load losses, a comprehensive, systematic, and standardised maintenance approach is needed to improve plant performance. According to the report, the current practice is that the plants have been forced to continue operating at the expense of their technical condition.