Duvha power staion explosion: The repercussions

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KhoisanX

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This week Yelland estimated that the damage could cost *anything between R2bn and R3bn.
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The coal-fired Medupi was *expected to generate 700MW for the national grid. But the explosion at *Duvha erased 600MW from the national grid.

This could typically supply electricity to about 200 000 middle-class domestic households.
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He said: “Another implication is that it is going to be more expensive for Eskom to generate power as it needs to use its stand-by *generators.”

Yelland said that turning to *diesel-powered generators as an option, would cost *Eskom five times more an hour.

This explosion forced Eskom to use all its power suppliers and this has resulted in the postponement of its maintenance schedule.

“Power generators are being forced to go the extra mile and they could fail because they are not *being maintained,” Yelland said.
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Blackout fears after Eskom explosion

Thread with some pictures
 
How many more bolts are going to fall out of Alec Erwins pockets..lol:D
 
Once upon a time equipment in the electricity network (in both Eskom and Spoornet) was maintained to a strict timetable.

Parts were replaced well within their lifetime.

Genuine emergencies could result in a reasonable delay of routine maintence without any negative consequences.

This system of maintainence was deemed too expensive by the PTB and huge amounts of money were saved by abandoning this regime in favour of a "Fix when broken" or "Just in Time" policy. These savings only lasted to the extent that the original regime provided a "buffer" against untimely failure.

That buffer has long since disappeared, the skills that originally built the buffer have either retired, or been poached overseas. The current crop of technicians, are fewer in number, and are spending 90% of their time repairing failures in a frantic rush, 10% trying to get maintence done in a frantic rush, rather then 80% in routine maintence at a leasurely pace and 20% emergency repairs at a pace that can only be achieved by people who are fresh and invigorated as apposed to burnt out.
 
alloytoo said:
Once upon a time equipment in the electricity network (in both Eskom and Spoornet) was maintained to a strict timetable.

Parts were replaced well within their lifetime.

Genuine emergencies could result in a reasonable delay of routine maintence without any negative consequences.

This system of maintainence was deemed too expensive by the PTB and huge amounts of money were saved by abandoning this regime in favour of a "Fix when broken" or "Just in Time" policy. These savings only lasted to the extent that the original regime provided a "buffer" against untimely failure.

That buffer has long since disappeared, the skills that originally built the buffer have either retired, or been poached overseas. The current crop of technicians, are fewer in number, and are spending 90% of their time repairing failures in a frantic rush, 10% trying to get maintence done in a frantic rush, rather then 80% in routine maintence at a leasurely pace and 20% emergency repairs at a pace that can only be achieved by people who are fresh and invigorated as apposed to burnt out.
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Shut up! Your in New Zealand :mad: and another :mad: for the cricket!
 
alloytoo said:
Once upon a time equipment in the electricity network (in both Eskom and Spoornet) was maintained to a strict timetable.

Parts were replaced well within their lifetime.

Genuine emergencies could result in a reasonable delay of routine maintence without any negative consequences.

This system of maintainence was deemed too expensive by the PTB and huge amounts of money were saved by abandoning this regime in favour of a "Fix when broken" or "Just in Time" policy. These savings only lasted to the extent that the original regime provided a "buffer" against untimely failure.

That buffer has long since disappeared, the skills that originally built the buffer have either retired, or been poached overseas. The current crop of technicians, are fewer in number, and are spending 90% of their time repairing failures in a frantic rush, 10% trying to get maintence done in a frantic rush, rather then 80% in routine maintence at a leasurely pace and 20% emergency repairs at a pace that can only be achieved by people who are fresh and invigorated as apposed to burnt out.
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Ironic that i have worked at most of the power stations performing maintenance ending at Eskom central maintenance services workshop C.M.S doing most of the power stations repairs as per their maintenance schedules. Have the experience and the qualifications..yet after 18 months still unemployed. Eskom dont want white qualified personal.
 
Surely Medupi when complete is expected to add 6x700MW? Stupid journalists not understanding engineering and couldn't be bothered researching.
 
R13... said:
Surely Medupi when complete is expected to add 6x700MW? Stupid journalists not understanding engineering and couldn't be bothered researching.
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They could be referring to the first unit as it will take 4 years between all units. Mind you it's already behind schedule.
 
The problem with stupid people is that they cannot recognise when intelligence is necessary. I come across this problem all the time in my line of work. Unfortunately, running a country intended to last and grow requires quite a bit of intelligence, regardless of democracy, kleptocracy or autocracy. For this country, those with political power have neither the required values, nor applicable skill. This kleptocracy is only engaged in self enrichment and they will continue to do so until the machine that drives the country (all productive members and successful entrepreneurs) fail completely. Those that support the kleptocracy are too stupid to understand that they are digging their own graves.
 
I'd love to know how this happened; there must be multiple safeguards in place to prevent an overspeed. There must also be a bunch of big red emergency stop buttons, so even if the other safety systems failed the system could still have been stopped by a human.
 
KhoisanX said:
I'd love to know how this happened; there must be multiple safeguards in place to prevent an overspeed. There must also be a bunch of big red emergency stop buttons, so even if the other safety systems failed the system could still have been stopped by a human.
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Probably ducked out for a smoke or something.
 
darkevil said:
Eskom dont want white qualified personal.
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Given that the technical term for unqualified or poorly trained personal working on this equipment is "Dead", coupled with their refusal to hire skilled white people, the skills shortage will continue indefinatly.

Personally I suggest you seek employment elsewhere in the world where your skills will be more appreciated.
 
More pictures.

You can't argue with the fact Eskom cocked up employing and retaining skilled engineers, techs & artisans. At one point they were so desperate to hire women that they went on drives to get women straight out of tech into management positions. All for the bonuses.

But then there's the side of the story no one tells. In the late 90s when Eskom started hiring more AA artisans & managers, many white people left Eskom simply because they refused to work with black people as equals. I know an artisan who went to fit radios rather than work with black artisans & a manager who too left an Eskom power station because he didn't want to work with black engineers. He had been running an all white engineering department.
 
R13... said:
More pictures.

You can't argue with the fact Eskom cocked up employing and retaining skilled engineers, techs & artisans. At one point they were so desperate to hire women that they went on drives to get women straight out of tech into management positions. All for the bonuses.

But then there's the side of the story no one tells. In the late 90s when Eskom started hiring more AA artisans & managers, many white people left Eskom simply because they refused to work with black people as equals. I know an artisan who went to fit radios rather than work with black artisans & a manager who too left an Eskom power station because he didn't want to work with black engineers. He had been running an all white engineering department.
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True that this happened. But you must also tell the WHOLE of the "other side of the story". Many of these people left because they were told that the Black managers and technicians were there to take over all their jobs. They were "forced" in the working capacity to skill-up these usurpers with the outlook to take over their own jobs. Then when they ask what position they will be promoted to once their job is taken over, they are met with silent stares, and "umms and ahhhhs".
Perhaps 5 or 10% of the white working force that left, left purely because they didn't want to work with black people, that is an obvious side effect of the old regime. But many others would have either stomached it, or welcomed it. An apprenticeship program would have gone down very well in many sectors.

These technicians and managers that left were left with 2 options. Stay and train this guy to take over your job, then you are out on your ass. Or resign outright. You cannot blame them for their choices. Regardless of colour, creed or gender, there is no way in hell I am training someone with the specific outlook to put me out of a job. I would rather spend those 2 years in a company where my career can flourish, staying in and ahead of the game. Why willingly shoot yourself in the foot?

So yes some may have left due to pure racist ideas, that was to be expected. But the reality of what caused every single white person to leave eskom in the dark (pun intended) is far from the "white racist" ideal.

So please tell the whole other side of the story, when you tell it. Omittance of detail is just as bad, if not worse than not telling the other side of the story at all.
 
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In my experience I found that the people want you to think for them, not the other way round, and they're not willing to learn, but expect spoonfeeding to help them.

This does not work for me. Either you shape up, learn how to do things yourself , or ship out.
 
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