Expect electricity problems for at least a year: Eskom

When did they start with Medupi and Kusile?

When my ol'man was building powerstations in the 80s, they used to get 6 sets up and running within 8 years of sod turning.

I guess project management and engineering is in a severe decline.
 
Sinbad said:
When did they start with Medupi and Kusile?

When my ol'man was building powerstations in the 80s, they used to get 6 sets up and running within 8 years of sod turning.

I guess project management and engineering is in a severe decline.
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Internal Engineering is an absolute joke. Project Management leaves a lot to be desired on many fronts, but they do make use of top dogs where the dollar hits them hard. I don't see how any project manager could handle Medupi within the golden triangle of project management given all the cosatu/numsa strikes, BEE requirements, ANC meddling and just generally getting shafted by compensation events.
 
“There is a perception that we loadshed but continue supplying neighbours with electricity. That is not so, cross-border customers are also affected.”
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Botswana has already cut their consumption to the max and initiated load shedding while they wait for their plants to come back on-line. But for now we are supplying them with their electricity. All of 500 MW of it. Did I mention we use about 30 GW, about 50 TIMES more than they use?
Our neighbors are small fry, but they are not leeching off us. (Its sensible to be friends with guys who supply 30% of the world's diamonds.)
 
“There is a perception that we loadshed but continue supplying neighbours with electricity. That is not so, cross-border customers are also affected.”
Right now, Eskom and team, you should really focus only on your own country. Wish we can tell you to GTFO!

Call me selfish, but why t f should I suffer with other countries when the electricity resources are generated here in South Africa? Eskom, what you need is to compete with another electricity supplier and preferably a privatized company. Stop wasting our money!
 
Ryansr said:
“There is a perception that we loadshed but continue supplying neighbours with electricity. That is not so, cross-border customers are also affected.”
Right now, Eskom and team, you should really focus only on your own country. Wish we can tell you to GTFO!

Call me selfish, but why t f should I suffer with other countries when the electricity resources are generated here in South Africa? Eskom, what you need is to compete with another electricity supplier and preferably a privatized company. Stop wasting our money!
Click to expand...

You do understand that private suppliers cannot actually compete with Eskom on pricing, right?
 
Sinbad said:
When did they start with Medupi and Kusile?

When my ol'man was building powerstations in the 80s, they used to get 6 sets up and running within 8 years of sod turning.

I guess project management and engineering is in a severe decline.
Click to expand...
From what I hear there are still many competent project managers and engineers. The problem now is that they have to deal with a politicised labour force protected by the ANC's workerist legislation and deployed cadres sitting in their leather chairs in the top tray at Megawatt Park. And suppliers who now have to prove their political credentials and connections to get the job.

Really, I can weep at how Eskom has been hurt.
 
We do need to supply neighbours with power. The alternative (of having destabilised neighbours, aside from Zimbabwe) is worse.

Unfortunately it does impact us. Botswana is only 800MW, but that is 25% of the shortfall.

Private generation was mooted a long time ago - a vastly improved policy is documented (and supported by Eskom) but sitting with central government to move on.
 
Sinbad said:
When my ol'man was building powerstations in the 80s, they used to get 6 sets up and running within 8 years of sod turning.
Click to expand...
Hat tip to your ol'man. What he and his generation did is magnificent.

It must break his heart to see it come to this.

I raise my glass to him right now. Cheers, Sinbad Sr. You guys did well.
 
Arthur said:
Hat tip to your ol'man. What he and his generation did is magnificent.

It must break his heart to see it come to this.

I raise my glass to him right now. Cheers, Sinbad Sr. You guys did well.
Click to expand...
I grew up with photos of half completed duvha on the walls, along with others (maccauvlei, kendal)...
I think he's had enough experience of Africa though that he is used to it.
 
Arthur said:
Hat tip to your ol'man. What he and his generation did is magnificent.

It must break his heart to see it come to this.

I raise my glass to him right now. Cheers, Sinbad Sr. You guys did well.
Click to expand...

The guys back then were qualified & competent. Nowadays it's just "jobs for the boys" especially if you are politically connected and vote for the "right" party
 
atomcrusher said:
The guys back then were qualified & competent. Nowadays it's just "jobs for the boys" especially if you are politically connected and vote for the "right" party
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The guys on the ground are highly qualified and skilled to do the job, it's the decision makers i.e. executive management, politicians and unions that's the HUGE problem
 
Hehe.

You know, the achievements then are all the more amazing when you remember that it happened in Africa. With all our problems and issues and
deficits and "Spoories mentalities", the old ESCOM/EVKOM was an astonishing achievement.

We've been coasting on the momentum built up by that generation. ;)
 
He said they got it done in spite of escom
 
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