Utilities

National parastatal eskom generates more than 95% of South Africa’s electricity. Demand for power in 2008 led to breaks in supply, which had a negative impact on the economy. In response, Eskom is rolling out a major investment programme to ensure that supply meets demand. The country’s growth rate will depend on Eskom meeting its targets.

Electricity
Between November 2008 and March 2009 Eskom brought an additional 1 039 megawatts into the grid by commissioning seven units, five at Atlantis and two near Mossel Bay. The fact that these units (Ankerlig and Gourikwa) are gas- and diesel-fired makes them useful for coping with variable demand. The building of substations and 400 kilovolt lines took less than half the time normally budgeted for such work.

These upgrades brought total generating capacity in the province to more than 3 000 megawatts. Koeberg Power Station, situated at Duynefontein, north of Cape Town, is currently the only nuclear power station in South Africa. In 2008, Eskom started investigating the feasibility of building as many as six new nuclear power stations.

The City of Cape Town is spending R900‑million on fixing its electricity-supply network, including cables and substations. It is hoped that this project will help to avoid power outages that arise through mechanical fault.

Water
Details about the important Berg Water Project (BWP) are outlined elsewhere in this publication. It is hoped that the BWP will alleviate water shortages in the greater Cape Town area for some time to come.

The winter-rainfall parts of the Garden Route experienced a particularly dry winter in 2009, with major dams such as the Garden Route Dam down to 25% capacity. In this context, it was good to hear in late 2009 about the construction of a R16-million desalination plant in Sedgefield.

In Cape Town, the municipality is spending R786-milllion on fixing its leaking pipes. The cost to the city of losing nearly 19% of its piped water through faulty connections and leaks comes to more than R4-million per annum. The city’s wastewater system is also the target of an upgrade and repair programme. The treatment works at Potsdam will have its capacity enlarged and a new facility is being built at Fisantkraal near Durbanville.

Gas
Gas is becoming more accessible to domestic and commercial users in the Western Cape. Some of the largest gas suppliers include Afrox, Air Liquide and Air Products. As small- and mediumsized companies turn to gas, niche suppliers like Industrial Gas Suppliers (IGS), based in Ottery, are growing their share of the market.

ONLINE RESOURCES
City of Cape Town: www.capetown.gov.za
Eskom: www.eskom.co.za
South African Water Research Commission: www.wrc.org.za
Water Institute of Southern Africa: www.wisa.org.za