{"id":62467,"date":"2024-03-09T15:46:24","date_gmt":"2024-03-09T15:46:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/collapse-of-eskom-power-stations-in-photos"},"modified":"2024-03-09T16:04:09","modified_gmt":"2024-03-09T16:04:09","slug":"collapse-of-eskom-power-stations-in-photos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/south-africa\/all-news\/collapse-of-eskom-power-stations-in-photos","title":{"rendered":"Collapse of Eskom power stations in photos"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – South-Africa. <\/strong><\/span>Eskom\u2019s performance has collapsed thanks to its overly complex management system, inadequate maintenance, and low staff morale. This collapse can be seen in photos of the utility\u2019s poorly run coal-fired power stations.<\/p>\n

The photos and feedback are from the German consultancy group VGBE Energy, which the National Treasury commissioned to analyse the performance of Eskom\u2019s coal-fired power plants and recommend ways to improve them.<\/p>\n

The German engineers, who have extensive experience running coal-fired power plants, spent four and a half months studying South Africa\u2019s ailing power utility.<\/p>\n

They went through Eskom\u2019s coal fleet, plant by plant, to determine what changes the utility should make to improve the performance of the individual stations.<\/p>\n

They pointed to several overarching issues, such as Eskom\u2019s complex management system, inadequate maintenance, and low staff morale, as reasons why the utility\u2019s performance has declined.<\/p>\n

Another factor is the general incompetence and lack of ability to implement theoretical knowledge in practice.<\/p>\n

However, the report said that most of the issues \u201crelating to the low Energy Availability Factor (EAF) can be attributed to a single root cause.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe management system with its governance, structure and processes is dysfunctional and too complex.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eskom has too many organisational layers and unclear decision-making processes. This generates a tremendous amount of red tape and a lack of accountability, they said.<\/p>\n

\u201cEskom\u2019s generation fleet has been trapped within this complex management system for so long that it is no longer able to maintain or improve the technical performance of the coal-fired plants.\u201d<\/p>\n

The report included many photos that illustrated the lack of maintenance and general housekeeping of Eskom\u2019s coal-fired power plants, showing just how far the utility\u2019s once-high standards have fallen.<\/p>\n\r\n