Eskom, South Africa’s state-owned electricity utility, has reached a significant milestone in its turnaround efforts. The company has reported an improved weekly energy availability factor (EAF) of 60%, the highest it has been in over a year.
This achievement was announced by Eskom generation manager, Eric Shumugam, during the Minister of Electricity’s update on the government’s energy action plan.
The EAF is a crucial measurement of Eskom’s coal power station fleet’s performance. It represents the percentage of the utility’s installed nominal capacity that is available to deliver power to the grid. Eskom’s coal fleet has not surpassed a weekly EAF of 60% since week 34 of last year.
[ A Temporary Power Solution – Energy Expert ]
Shumugam highlighted that this improvement has had a positive impact on Eskom’s budget. By increasing the availability of its coal power stations, the utility has been able to reduce its reliance on open-cycle gas turbines (OCGTs).
These turbines burn diesel to generate gas, which is then used to spin turbines and generate electricity. While OCGTs are more expensive to operate compared to coal power stations, they are essential in preventing higher levels of load-shedding, which have significant economic consequences.
Previously, OCGTs were only meant to be used during emergency situations when there was a shortfall in electricity supply. However, due to the poor state of Eskom’s coal power fleet, the OCGTs have been running more frequently, even during periods of lower demand such as weekends.
Despite implementing up to stage 2 load-shedding last week, Eskom’s evening peak demand statistics showed that the OCGTs were not needed for evening peak periods.
Shumugam emphasized that while the OCGTs will still be required for some evening and early morning peak periods, the reduced reliance on them is a positive development.
It demonstrates the progress Eskom has made in improving the performance of its coal power stations and ensuring a more reliable electricity supply for South Africa.
Read about more tech news and reviews from ravzgadget.com.
