In this opinion article, Sasol senior VP for the Sasolburg & Ekandustria operations Rightwell Laxa, and Sebenzana MD Andrew Carr, argue that old, coal-fired power stations similar to those used by Sasol and Eskom could achieve a much-needed maintenance turnaround by blending dwindling engineering expertise with a high-tech, asset management platform. The authors outline how boiler-tube failures at the Sasolburg power stations were reduced by more than 66% and how the old power stations are now achieving world-class performance levels.
Scottish energy storage specialists Gravitricity is looking for decommissioned or underused mine shafts to store electricity and has teamed up with South African energy consultancy RESA to identify suitable mine shafts for their gravity-based energy storage technology.
International and local efforts to restrict funding for the construction of new coal-fired power plants appear to be gaining momentum, even possibly threatening the funding of the two new planned independent coal power producer projects in South Africa, Thabametsi and Khanyisa.
In the latest development, it has been reliably learned that last week Standard Bank advised the director general of the Department of Energy, Thabani Zulu, of the bank’s new policy position to stop funding the construction of any new coal-fired power plants, in line with new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development country protocols.
The information was shared with EE publishers by persons with knowledge of the matter, who had not been authorised to speak to the media.
JOHANNESBURG – Power utility Eskom said on Friday it had seven interim suppliers to provide it with coal while it searches for new sources for its 2,100 megawatt Arnot plant after it allowed its 40-year contract with Exxaro Resources to lapse.
COSPP – Siemens is to provide the technology behind Turkey’s largest cogeneration plant, which will itself serve the world’s largest solution mining plant at Kazan in Ankara province.
The German multinational will supply a gas and steam turbine package for the Ciner Kazan Soda combined cycle cogeneration power plant (CHP) for China’s Tianchen Engineering Corporation (TCC) who will act as turnkey EPC contractor in the project. The end customer is Kazan Soda Electric Company of the Ciner Group in Turkey. Commercial operation is scheduled for the end of 2017.
COSPP – A study produced by Deloitte indicates that more than half of large US businesses generate power on site.
The new study finds 55% of large US businesses generate some portion of their electricity on site, representing a growing trend across the last few years.
Almost 80% of the sampled businesses see reducing electricity costs as critical to maintaining a competitive advantage, and most have now put in place formal energy reduction goals.
Power utility Eskom said on Friday it had signed a coal supply deal with Anglo American’s black empowerment company Inyosi Coal to have the commodity delivered from the New Largo project to Kusile power station.
The memorandum of understanding signed last week will see Inyosi supply coal to Kusile, which is currently under construction in the Mpumalanga province, according to a statement from Eskom.
