EsKom and the Maintenance Bogie man

[DavLor]

As a former Power Station Engineer (not Eskom) I make the following statement.
Man in the street does not realise that quick maintenance is impossible without adequate SPARE PARTS.
A few decades ago when I held the position of Maintenance Engineer, a vital KPA of my job was managing the spares inventory.
Even in those days, the bulk of Power Station Spares were `made to order'. A 24 month delivery period was not uncommon.

I fear that, as part of cost cutting, the Eskom spare parts inventory may have been cut back so that certain `Maintenance' is in fact impossible for many months to come..

My advice to the new CEO is to have a massive audit of the spare parts bins and a quick search for possible spare parts from other power utilities round the world that may be using identical parts! (THE POINT OF DEPARTURE IS THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED SPARES LIST)

 

[TheChamp]

Good post Davlor.

 

[Geoff.D]

Absolutely! Trained people pouring out of business schools believe all that "Just In Time" BS to the point where logic just leaves the room.
My father in the banking business used to inspect the "inventory stores" in a branch as his very first task when arriving at a new branch. He swore blind that if the stationery store was being properly maintained that just about everything else would be working like a clock.

 

[Neuk_]

As a former Power Station Engineer (not Eskom) I make the following statement.
Man in the street does not realise that quick maintenance is impossible without adequate SPARE PARTS.
A few decades ago when I held the position of Maintenance Engineer, a vital KPA of my job was managing the spares inventory.
Even in those days, the bulk of Power Station Spares were `made to order'. A 24 month delivery period was not uncommon.

I fear that, as part of cost cutting, the Eskom spare parts inventory may have been cut back so that certain `Maintenance' is in fact impossible for many months to come..

My advice to the new CEO is to have a massive audit of the spare parts bins and a quick search for possible spare parts from other power utilities round the world that may be using identical parts! (THE POINT OF DEPARTURE IS THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED SPARES LIST)

Yep, my girlfriend's family is supplying auto reclosers to Eskom based on a 5 year contract with overseas and local manufacturing/content, lead times are not 24 months but still not weeks.

 

[Stokstert]

Thanks to above post and google I now also know what an auto recloser is. One learns something new every day.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

As a former Power Station Engineer (not Eskom) I make the following statement.
Man in the street does not realise that quick maintenance is impossible without adequate SPARE PARTS.
A few decades ago when I held the position of Maintenance Engineer, a vital KPA of my job was managing the spares inventory.
Even in those days, the bulk of Power Station Spares were `made to order'. A 24 month delivery period was not uncommon.

I fear that, as part of cost cutting, the Eskom spare parts inventory may have been cut back so that certain `Maintenance' is in fact impossible for many months to come..

My advice to the new CEO is to have a massive audit of the spare parts bins and a quick search for possible spare parts from other power utilities round the world that may be using identical parts! (THE POINT OF DEPARTURE IS THE MANUFACTURERS RECOMMENDED SPARES LIST)

All valid and very true, unfortunately however no amount of spares will overcome the fact that the boilers for Medupi and Kusile are not delivering.

This additional generation was supposed to be our saving grace and allow all the much needed maintenance of other generation units to take place, avoiding the maintenance related breakdowns we are suffering through now.

Sadly, due to design faults (related to another dodgy tender scandal) this was not to be. Fixing this will be no small task. Even 36 months would be heavily optimistic (assuming the budget was available) to replace these boilers.

 

[Geoff.D]

Thanks to above post and google I now also know what an auto recloser is. One learns something new every day.

The best Auto recloser is a nail used instead of a fuse or CB.

 

[Binary_Bark]

"What is the meaning of this western word 'maintanice' you are using.?"
"Everything runs by magic, if it stops we call the witch doctor"

 

[mariusc1024]

the boilers for Medupi and Kusile are not delivering.

Just for my education, what is the problem with the steam generation? Quantity? Quality? Integrity? Control? Operations? Feedstock?

 

[Stokstert]

The best Auto recloser is a nail used instead of a fuse or CB.

That could well be the last closer before total burn out.

 

[Binary_Bark]

Just for my education, what is the problem with the steam generation? Quantity? Quality? Integrity? Control? Operations? Feedstock?

Yes

 

[Gordon_R]

Just for my education, what is the problem with the steam generation? Quantity? Quality? Integrity? Control? Operations? Feedstock?

Designed to burn clean coal, fed crap local coal. Boilers need to be 33% larger to generate enough steam to run the turbines. Would have to be completely rebuilt, and wouldn't last long because of abrasive ash in coal. Yes, all the others too...

 

[MirageF1]

A deeply worrying and pitiful state I have returned to after living 15 years overseas.

Frightening how the biggest economy in Africa ( and larger than many smaller European/S.American countries) has been reduced to ash in less than a generation.

How the mighty have fallen.

 

[Adeptus Mechanicus]

Designed to burn clean coal, fed crap local coal. Boilers need to be 33% larger to generate enough steam to run the turbines. Would have to be completely rebuilt, and wouldn't last long because of abrasive ash in coal. Yes, all the others too...

All of the above.

The German designed and built boilers Eskom uses elsewhere with a proven track record were turned down in favor of more expensive, unproven boilers from Hitachi.

We can thank the corrupt relationship our government has with our new Chinese overlords for that gem.

 

[Thor]

Just for my education, what is the problem with the steam generation? Quantity? Quality? Integrity? Control? Operations? Feedstock?

All of the above.

 

[Rickster]

As a former Power Station Engineer (not Eskom)

Please enlighten me, why does my substation often trip? And when city power "fix" it do they simply flip a switch or hit a reset button?

 

[TheChamp]

All of the above.

The German designed and built boilers Eskom uses elsewhere with a proven track record were turned down in favor of more expensive, unproven boilers from Hitachi.

We can thank the corrupt relationship our government has with our new Chinese overlords for that gem.

Isn't Hitachi Japanese?

 

[Johnatan56]

All of the above.

The German designed and built boilers Eskom uses elsewhere with a proven track record were turned down in favor of more expensive, unproven boilers from Hitachi.

We can thank the corrupt relationship our government has with our new Chinese overlords for that gem.

Well, the issue is Luthuli house has a 30% stake in the company that supply the boilers in SA, also interesting how the company got created just a few months before the tender.

 

[Geoff.D]

Please enlighten me, why does my substation often trip? And when city power "fix" it do they simply flip a switch or hit a reset button?

Because you plugged in that hair drier. And yes, the auto recloser tries and tries and then city power resets it.

 

[Lupus]

All of the above.

The German designed and built boilers Eskom uses elsewhere with a proven track record were turned down in favor of more expensive, unproven boilers from Hitachi.

We can thank the corrupt relationship our government has with our new Chinese overlords for that gem.

Hitachi is Japanese though? So how would the governments involvement with the Chinese matter? You'd think you'd know that with your nickname.