Eskom maintenance delays are cause for concern

We were only a month into 2022 before homeowners were again expected to light their candles during another wave of load shedding. This comes after calls of more maintenance backlogs, overloaded units, and poorly conserved stations forcing the grid into yet another state of emergency.

Exceeding the budget
 

Eskom maintenance debacles have continued to expand during the previous years on top of what has been referred to as "historical backlogs" - some of which have not been attended to for over 9 years and counting. 
 

On top of these worrying delays, the stats are not looking too good for the industry giant. They paint a dismal picture portraying the energy availability factor at its lowest point in recorded history with 63% of their power plants functioning on average at any given time.
 

With rising backlogs and subpar functionality, it is then no wonder that South Africans have had to suffer through over 1200 hours of load shedding in this financial year alone. Knock-off effects have increased by using expensive diesel-powered turbines which have seen the budget estimate soar over 8 times the anticipated amount.

Eskom's cash flow concerns
 

When Eskom's CEO, Andre de Ruyter, first took the mantle two years ago, one of his key strategies was to implement "reliable maintenance." In other words, this strategy would focus on maintenance schedules following strict manufacturing guidelines when it comes to equipment and machinery.
 

This strategy has come onto the rocks as Head of Generation Phillip Dukashe outlines. "The biggest problem holding back the new maintenance program is Eskom's cash flow," says Dukashe. "Due to various constraints, the chief financial officer has not been able to release funds in a timely manner."
 

This cashflow problem became the catalyst to inefficient maintenance planning which has seen various units taken out of commission before a schedule for repairs could be devised. Meaning that some stations are sitting idle for indefinite periods. 
 

The result is that out of 84 planned maintenance outages for this year, 28 of them will be pushed back to 2023 providing little comfort for South Africans at home already resigned to more bouts of load shedding.

Long term impact of maintenance backlogs 
 

Concerns for the future continues to plague the top brass at Eskom. Dukashe confirms his concerns for maintenance plans dating back to 2013 to refurbish and restore 11 power stations. Some of these plans have yet to even commence.
 

Poor performance can also be attributed to a failure to restore cooling towers, boiler tube leaks, and shutdown to soaring emission levels due to the lack of efficiency.
 

Regardless of their poor energy availability factor, Eskom is set to continue running its coal plants over and above their benchmarked capacity throughout the coming financial year. This was confirmed by the company's tariff increase on homeowners in mid-January. 
 

Dukashe has acknowledged that such a move will likely put unnecessary strain on the plant which could lead to later wear and tear in the process. He also noted that there is an ongoing issue of staff resignations and retirements within the generations division far exceeding that of previous years.
 

"As you know, the best people leave first," he explained. "I'm worried about the loss of the experience of skilled individuals which will make our plant recovery more difficult."

Reassurances from the chief 
 

De Ruyter has said in a recent statement that funds were "now beginning to flow" from Eskom's budget for these much-needed maintenance schedules. This, he says, has now allowed him to implement his "rigorous" plans to save the utility company from a disastrous future outcome.
 

"Eskom will not compromise on planned maintenance even during high outages," he said. "We are absolutely firm in our resolve to restore the long-term sustainability of the system."
 

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