Rolling Reserve Replenishment: Sat 25 July 2015 [Stg2: 0800-2200]

[vaakseun]

Eskom usually have a decent buffer I think.
I won't be surprised if Eskom got like 500MW buffer or so.

Other areas will have to take up the slack in order to keep the safety buffer. Could be why we're currently on stage 2 instead of 1.

In an emergency they can always cut off power to industrial customers (at a very hefty price tag of course).

 

[vaakseun]

No stage 2 load shedding in the City of Cape Town due to spare generation capacity!

Yay!

... and no load-shedding in PE due to municipal strike action

Keeping up with the Joneses eh?

 

[lexis]

We weren't cut off last night as scheduled

We were cut off as not scheduled....

 

[lexis]

I am starting to wonder about the effect of these blackouts on DSTV subscription. Nobody can follow a regular series without missing some episodes anymore.

Sport? I checked the load shedding schedule against the EPL football schedule - it seems that I will miss either a game or half of 2 games every weekend - either on Saturday or Sunday....

 

[Gordon_R]

Indeed, though it seems it's getting harder to replenish the upper reservoir with Eskom's constant stage 2. I think it has a capacity of about 180MW for 15 hours fully "charged" while they only have about 6 hours per day to replenish.

Technically Steenbras is an 'inverted' pumped storage scheme, so it is the lower reservoir which must be 'emptied' and not the upper reservoir 'replenished' for the system to function. The upper reservoir is part of Cape Town's water supply, and has a large capacity (several weeks supply). The lower reservoir has no natural inflow (unlike the upper reservoir), nor any outflow (other than to pump it back 'up the hill' again).

Confusingly there are actually two separate Steenbras water reservoirs (both larger and higher than the pumped storage facility). See: https://www.dwa.gov.za/Hydrology/Weekly/wmaweek.aspx?region=19

Edit: You can see the respective sizes of all 3 reservoirs in this nice aerial photo: http://www.craiglotter.co.za/wp-con...ove-gordons-bay-capet-town-south-africa-2.jpg

The nearby Palmiet scheme (run by Eskom, not the City of Cape Town), has a smaller upper reservoir (Rockview Dam). This arrangement is probably more 'conventional' for pumped storage.

 

[Bryn]

I was meant to be cut at 1pm and wasn't. Seems the strike in the Nelson Mandela Bay and the rumours of substation issues for my area have brought good fortune.

 

[cavedog]

Other areas will have to take up the slack in order to keep the safety buffer. Could be why we're currently on stage 2 instead of 1.

In an emergency they can always cut off power to industrial customers (at a very hefty price tag of course).

Indeed but I highly doubt that just because PE is not loadshedding that we are on stage 2 instead of stage 1. It's just insignificant.

I think even if CPT don't loadshed but the rest of the country does follow loadshedding then it won't make much of a difference too.

Stage 2 the cities needs to save like 250MW give or take can't find the exact number. So even if they don't loadshed it won't have much affect. The problem comes in if other places don't allow for proper changing of blocks that needs to loadshed like switching block 1 on firsth before switching block 2 off.... That can be something to worry about I think.

 

[MickeyD]

Indeed but I highly doubt that just because PE is not loadshedding that we are on stage 2 instead of stage 1. It's just insignificant.

I think even if CPT don't loadshed but the rest of the country does follow loadshedding then it won't make much of a difference too.

Stage 2 the cities needs to save like 250MW give or take can't find the exact number. So even if they don't loadshed it won't have much affect. The problem comes in if other places don't allow for proper changing of blocks that needs to loadshed like switching block 1 on firsth before switching block 2 off.... That can be something to worry about I think.

There are a few PE suburbs that have been without power since last night due to faults. The staff are on strike so no faults are being attended to and nobody is there to play with the switches for the blackout schedules.

 

[bwana]

... and no load-shedding in PE due to municipal strike action

And no one repairing the downed line in my area so no power since 9pm last night…

And the ADSL is off…

And the road into town is flooded.

 

[MickZA]

And no one repairing the downed line in my area so no power since 9pm last night…

And the ADSL is off…

And the road into town is flooded.

I'm off to collect someone at the airport just now, could be an interesting drive.

 

[Dan C]

And no one repairing the downed line in my area so no power since 9pm last night…

And the ADSL is off…

And the road into town is flooded.

Moerse rain here in EL too luckily power on. But it's damn cold so heaters on.. take that ESKOM !

 

[thehuman]

And no one repairing the downed line in my area so no power since 9pm last night…

And the ADSL is off…

And the road into town is flooded.

Are you able to keep your freezer cold ? Im sure we can make a plan if needed

 

[bwana]

Are you able to keep your freezer cold ? Im sure we can make a plan if needed

Yeah. The generator seems to be handling the fridge with far less effort than I anticipated. Hates the geyser though!

 

[LazyLion]

Our power was off from 10am to 1pm. Then the fun started. They tried switching it back on about 4 times, then gave up until 2pm. Just after 2pm it finally came back on. But then went off again 30 mins later. After 5 mins they got it on again.... until 4pm when it went off again for 30 mins. Been on for an hour and a half now.

 

[Creag]

Our power was off from 10am to 1pm. Then the fun started. They tried switching it back on about 4 times, then gave up until 2pm. Just after 2pm it finally came back on. But then went off again 30 mins later. After 5 mins they got it on again.... until 4pm when it went off again for 30 mins. Been on for an hour and a half now.

And this how electronic appliances taking a pounding.

 

[BigEars]

Final stages of South Africa's total collapse.

Somehow some seem to doubt me. Not here...other International Forums do.
Money does not grow on trees. The few that are contributing to our ongoing battle to save South Africa are few and far between.

I see it at ANC grassroots level...where the Fodder are....so frigging sad. They really do not care about ESKOM or electricity or mains or anything else....or rolling blackouts or whatever. They never wanted it anyway.

The "they" word again....Who is "they" they said....

They are the ones continuously voting the likes of Zuma and his corrupt thieving gang into power every time.

 

[MickeyD]

And no one repairing the downed line in my area so no power since 9pm last night…

And the ADSL is off…

And the road into town is flooded.

From a staff member on strike...

Ons is op n "strike" by die werk oor scare skills wat hulle van ons weg gewat het om te gebruik vir sportsvelde en ander ***. So almal wat dit kry werk nie totdat dit uit gesort is. Dit sluit in ouens van ons beheer kamer, so niemand om loadsheading uit te voer nie. Die call center vat calls, maar niemand mag voute gaan reg maak nie. Selfs ons base staan saam met ons. Niemand werk totdat die geld in ons rekeninge inbetaal is. Dannie Jordaan, wat die besluit gemaak het om weg te vat, weier om ons te kom toespreek oor hoekom dit nie by al die metro's gebeur nie, net by ons. Die, scare skills, is mos n goverment driven initiative, nie metro issue nie. So, niks loadsheading todat dit gebeur nie en die geld is nog nie inbetaal nie.

Attempted translation:

We are on strike over the scarce skills allowance that they took away from us and diverted to use on sports fields and other ****. So everyone who used to get it will not go back to work until it is resolved. That includes guys in the control room, so there is nobody to execute the loadshedding. The call centre are taking calls but nobody may go repair faults. Even our bosses are supporting us. Nobody works until the money is paid into our accounts. Danny Jordaan, who made the decision to take away the allowance, refuses to address us and explain why it has not been taken away in all metros, only here with us. This, the scarce skills, is a government driven initiative, not a metro one. So, no loadshedding until it happens and the money has still not been paid in yet.

 

[biometrics]

What is "scare skills"?

 

[MickeyD]

What is "scare skills"?

dunno

 

[biometrics]

dunno

Maybe he means "scarse".