Dear Editor
I first wrote about Medupi on my Blog in August 2010. I suggested that the Medupi build be scrapped and the money be used more constructively. Imagine if the R500 billion wasted by Eskom over the past 10 years had been spent on Renewable Energy. And Eskom is at least R100 billion behind on its Grid Maintenance. And Eskom hasn't met South Africa's emissions standards, and if Medupi is ever completed, it also won't meet its EIA requirements, and according to South African law, it should not have been allowed to start up! What is the point of Environmental Impact Assessments if even the government is allowed to ignore it?
Then on August 9th, 2015, I wrote the following on my BLOG, which was a copy of something I put on Facebook on August 9th, 2014; and I want to know why has this been allowed to get exponentially worse?
Medupi coal power station should be online by now
Just a reminder: Eskom's first 800 MW Medupi Power Station turbine (unit) was meant to go on stream in September 2012. And then we were expecting the other units to come on stream at 9 month intervals, so we should have at least 2,400 MW on stream by now, but we have nothing, and the latest news, from our new Minister of Public Works, Lynne Brown, is that the first 800 MW unit will be on stream in December 2014 and then the units will come on stream at 12 month intervals.
South Africans are being held to ransom by our government, Department of Energy, Eskom officials, and their consultants, advisors, contractors, staff, and foreign suppliers. They are impeding growth and contributing to South Africa's debt crisis, unemployment, exchange rate crisis, inflation, and the possibility that South Africa might be downgraded to Junk Bond Status. Foreign Investors cannot invest in "Junk Bonds" and will sell their South African debt (bonds) and possibly investments, potentially causing a massive crash in our stock market and possibly worse strikes and hardship. But the situation doesn't need to be like this. We can change it.
The situation must change. (Added March 2019: Maybe South Africans, especially the jobless or soon to be jobless will wake up in May, and change South Africa!)
South African citizens must take responsibility for themselves and not rely on government to help anymore regarding electricity provision, although government obviously still has a role to play.
Yours faithfully
David Lipschitz
Ph 074 119 3246
After 3 km your car engine seizes and then you take 3 weeks to fix it. Then what do you put in your engine? More chip oil!!!
ReplyDeleteThe main reason for load shedding in South Africa. We export our best quality Thermal Coal and use Tailings Coal, which is Waste Coal from Thermal Coal production in our power stations!!!
ReplyDeleteIt's like cooking chips in sunflower oil. And then taking the sunflower oil and putting it in your car. After 3 km your car engine seizes and then you take 3 weeks to fix it. Then what do you put in your engine? More chip oil!!!