'Load shedding did more harm than good'

By Thabiso Thakali

In the wake of Eskom's decision to suspend load shedding indefinitely, experts have questioned whether the practice may have not been counter-productive in the first place.

There were strong suggestions that load shedding had damaged on Eskom's infrastructure and that this was the reason it was reviewed.

Experts said the country's ageing substations were not coping with load shedding.

Several engineers suggested the recent substation explosions were signs of the greater difficulties Eskom could face if it continued with load shedding.

"Switching on and off poses a serious risk and threatens the lifespan of any piece of electrical equipment. This can add to the likelihood of failure," said Rob Melaia, a rotating machine engineer.



He said he didn't understand why Eskom had gone ahead with load shedding, as it had contributed to only a small reduction in the consumption of electricity.

Dennis van Es, a mechanical engineer, said a report by the National Energy Regulator of SA had indicated that transformers and distribution equipment had been neglected in several municipalities. Load shedding could have exacerbated the problem.

The equipment could now be in a poorer state because of the frequent on and off switching.

This could mean that the equipment would require a major overhaul, he said.

Thys Botha, an electrical engineer, said: "Oil-based circuit-breakers can get contaminated with carbon dioxide during load shedding and this can lead to an explosion when the power comes back on.

"You can't use circuit-breakers like operating switches because they weren't designed to do that."

He said load shedding was never an effective and efficient relief system for the crisis facing South Africa.

Technicians also said that, instead of saving the required 10% of electricity, load shedding was achieving the opposite; businesses and residents increased their electricity usage when electricity was available, thereby adding to the pressure on the power grid.

Eskom introduced pre-emptive load shedding on April 1 and said it would run until July as part of efforts to stabilise the power grid.

It was aimed at cutting demand by 3 000 megawatts.

This was to be followed by four months of power rationing.

Hendrik Schmidt, DA spokesperson on energy, said he had learned that the decision to suspend load shedding was based on its negative impact on the economy and Eskom's infrastructure.

"Talk behind the scenes is that load shedding has led to massive destruction of infrastructure.

"That is why it had to be canned subject to a review.

"We find it bizarre that Eskom introduced a system that its own equipment couldn't handle," he said.

Schmidt said for Eskom to suggest that the 10 percent reduction target was nearly reached was strange, considering that pre-emptive load shedding had only lasted for three weeks.

He said the DA would demand figures from Eskom managers when they appeared before parliament next week to support their argument of reduction in consumption.

"We believe this could also be a PR exercise for Eskom and a strategic move to have public support for its 53 percent tariff hike request during public hearings later this month."

Eskom has said it was unaware of any failure of equipment because of load shedding, but admitted that there may be a need for maintenance of some of its infrastructure.

"Certainly load shedding can put stress on equipment and increase a need for its maintenance. But we will have to await a technical report on the incidents that involved explosions to be able to ascertain this," said Eskom spokesperson Andrew Etzinger.

He said the decision to suspend load shedding was taken because of considerable power saving in several municipalities.

But, he said, the power grid was "still vulnerable if we have technical problems or a sudden high demand".

• Source Url: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=vn20080503084207871C776895
  
  Posted By: Jan
  AfricanCrisis Webmaster
  Author of: Government by Deception
  
  “Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”
  (George Orwell)
  
  My all time favourite movie quote is from the Dwarf in Lord of the Rings: "Certainty of death, small chance of success... what are we waiting for?"
  

         

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  Readers' Comments

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  Date Posted: Sunday 04-May-2008
  Q: Why does E-scum implement policies that will damage their own equipment?
  
  A: They don't have the foggiest shred of and idea what they are doing.
  
  Stefan Viljoen
  Potchefstroom
  South Africa
  

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  Date Posted: Sunday 04-May-2008
  Life living with an inept government. Thinking and planning ahead never was an African skill. But will they realise in time that they need the best at the top even if they are white? Doubtful!
  
  Brian & Beverlee Deller
  Marbella
  Spain
  

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  Date Posted: Saturday 03-May-2008
  Whatever, just another case of coens not coping with the infrastructure they "liberated"
  
  myname