Energy Burst: Where are South Africa’s Power Stations?

South Africa’s power stations were originally designed to maximise our natural resources and deliver reliable electricity at lowest cost.

“Having a resource in the ground does not translate into energy security, as evidenced by Eskom’s current supply crisis”
– Jesse Burton, UCT’s Energy Research Centre*
*Quoted in The Citizen

Eskom operates fifteen coal-fired power stations, which are situated in the rich coalfields of Northern KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and Limpopo Provinces. Today, however, a variety of factors have resulted in what is being called ‘Eskom’s coal crisis’ – with the utility claiming that there’s a shortage of coal, and having to truck coal in from other locations or using HFO to power open cycle gas turbines (which is resulting in increased generation costs).