ESCOM’s sixth decade Demand for electricity soars 1973 - 1983 To an ESCOM planner in Growing international pressure machinery created dangerous vibrations. In the 1970s, ESCOM’s environmental Trade and Industries to investigate the towards ’s apartheid On completion, in 1979, Kriel consisted challenges paled into insignificance supply of electricity in South Africa. the 1960s and 1970s, government seemed only to harden its of six sets of 500 MW each and was one compared to the crisis that it faced on ESCOM cooperated with the board the idea that South Africa resolve. In spite of growing isolation, of the largest -fired power stations 5 December 1975. An interconnected to seek the best solution for the utility could end up with too there was still strong global demand in the southern hemisphere, as well as transmission system, while preferable, and for the South African economy. much power capacity must for South Africa’s gold, minerals, iron being of the world’s first to receive its had its risks, and faults could spread In the end, ESCOM did away with the ore, steel, and coal. What South Africa coal from a fully mechanised coal mine. to the entire country. This is exactly Central General Undertaking (CGU) have seemed laughable. lacked were oil and gas. Thus it was Meanwhile, Duvha, like Kriel, was a what happened on that particular day, and modernised its accounting Putting aside the post- that ESCOM relied so heavily on coal “six-pack” power station, with separate when a relay malfunctioned at the system. Although the Capital Second World War boom, and, particularly, low-grade coal (or housing for its turbine generators. Unlike Hydra substation near De Aar. Much of Development Fund (CDF) and the 1970s saw the biggest “black-painted” rock as some power Kriel, the boilers were of a conventional the country went without power for 24 ESCOM’s insistence on large reserve complex planning issues to the effect station operators called it). design and used natural circulation hours, and ESCOM had to rethink its plant margins came under attack, they would have on the cost of a growth in electricity So the 1970s saw ever bigger coal- and not once-through. Kriel began transmission system. In 1976, ESCOM they were ultimately defended by kilowatt-hour of electricity. consumption in South fired power stations popping up in the commercial operation in 1979 and, on addressed the problem by building two the government, which shouldered Unfortunately for ESCOM, although Africa’s history. In 1973, veld. Arnot had begun completion (in 1983), boasted six sets gas turbine stations, one near Cape some of the blame for the sharp Smith was famous for being a top- demand grew by 12% and commercial service in 1971, and it of 500 MW each. It was distinctive for its Town and the other near East London. price increases. ESCOM defended its class planner, he overestimated South was becoming apparent that its boiler house superstructure – constructed The year 1976 saw the completion of spending on expansion by arguing Africa’s future electricity needs. by 13% the following year. 350 MW sets (massive for the time) from concrete in order to reduce lead and Gariep that, without it, South Africa would He was not helped by the fact that The average annual growth would be too small for future stations. time and capital costs amid a world (then Hendrik Verwoerd) hydro power have faced not only an oil shortage there were delays in the building of for ESCOM’s sixth decade With an annual growth in power shortage of steel. station (Arnot had been completed the crisis, but an electricity shortage Koeberg, and the power from Cahora demand of 9%, ESCOM would need Duvha Power Station was the third previous year). crisis, too. In 1979, Jan H Smith, Bassa (then called Cabora Bassa) was was almost 9%. to double capacity every eight years, and final “six-pack” and was built near ESCOM itself was not a capitalist ESCOM’s General Manager at the so unreliable as to be arguably worse which translated to a further 10 000 in Mpumalanga. It, too, used enterprise, and in the 1970s, many time, lambasted the Board of Trade than no supply at all. With sanctions MW by 1980. a “once-through” boiler technology, but South Africans began to see it as and Industry for their use of starting to bite, it was feared that Kriel was the first of the “six-packs” instead of six 500 MW sets, it consisted inefficient, especially when the price of the word “profit”. Then, as now, the ESCOM would be unable to complete (so-called because of their six tall, of six 600 MW sets. electricity started to rise. The problem term is a potentially misleading one, Koeberg at all, and so certain planning and very prominent, boiler houses) The boilers proved more reliable than was that ESCOM had to finance most given that ESCOM’s profits do not schools of thought discounted and featured new “once-through” Kriel’s, but there were still challenges, of its own growth. At the same time, enrich private investors, but are nuclear power from the equation. technology, where steam “bypasses the particularly of an environmental nature. ESCOM feared that if it did not expand, used to expand South Africa’s The upshot was that ESCOM urgently turbine while the boiler is warmed up The precipitators on Duvha’s first the country would run out of power. In electricity system. began building more power stations or when the turbine is shut down”. three units did not reduce emissions 1977, consumers were paying 166% In 1980, the chairman of ESCOM, in anticipation of continued high From the start, there were to acceptable levels, and the pollution more for electricity than in 1971. Reinhardt Straszacker, retired, and growth in demand. The early 1980s challenges in getting the most problem was only solved in 1984 when Unsurprisingly, the move to it was the same Jan H Smith who saw construction begin on Lethabo, out of Kriel, which was once the offending units were retrofitted with Megawatt Park in 1977 was not grasped the baton. Smith, who Matimba, and Kendal power stations. ESCOM’s biggest power pulse-jet fabric filter plants – a world greeted favourably by the public, who raised tortoises as pets because he This would add almost 12 000 MW station. The boilers were first. Another first for Duvha came in saw it as an example of ESCOM’s admired their tenacity, was known to the system and create a problem susceptible to slagging, and the form of a man by the name of Ehud wasteful expenditure. The upshot of all for being a “man in a hurry”. He that seemed almost unthinkable at new mill foundations had to Matya – ESCOM’s first black power this was that, in 1977, the Minister of was nicknamed “Mr Kilowatt-hour”, the time: what to do with masses of be built when the heavy milling station manager. Economic Affairs asked the Board of a reference to his ability to reduce excess electricity. • 1973 to (completed in 1979) was one The Drakensberg Pumped-storage Scheme (commissioned in Jan H Smith, chairman > 1983 of the first coal-fired power stations in the world to 1981) was constructed entirely underground. of ESCOM from 1980 to receive its coal from a fully mechanised coal mine. 1985, raised tortoises as pets because he admired their tenacity. The of (first unit Unlike his pets, he was commissioned in 1979) had to be demolished DID YOU KNOW? known for “always being when it was discovered that a supervisor had > in a hurry”. In 1976, in an attempt to empower black been stealing the reinforcing rods and selling > Duvha Power Station (first unit completed in artisans, ESCOM created the Artisan them as scrap. 1980) boasted the largest opencast colliery and the Recognition and Training Scheme. This largest free-standing concrete structures (chimneys) allowed black artisan assistants to be in the southern hemisphere. trained up to artisan level. In the early 1980s, the production of one unit of

> The boilers for Kriel Power Station electricity used up about two and a half litres of Between 1930 and 1980, the annual (first commercial service: 1976) – at 60 m water. Twenty years later, average water usage percentage growth in the demand for high, with a furnace cross section of 20 m was less than half that amount. by 15 m, and containing 9 000 t of steel – ESCOM’s electricity exceeded South were by far ESCOM’s biggest at the time. Africa’s growth rate in every single

Between 1950 and 1980, ESCOM increased its year, but for one. The 1980 Annual ESCOM moved its head office to Megawatt share of the electricity market in southern African Report put this phenomenon down > Park in 1977. from 71% to over 93%. to “increasing industrialisation”.