Page 19 - Energize Issue 1 2023

VIEWS AND OPINION

Eskom therefore needs as an urgency a the other turnaround aspects because the psychological turnaround will of necessity
total psychological turnaround, top to contribute to the success of the other turnarounds as mentioned in above.
bottom, in addition to strategic, financial
and technical turnarounds, if as a worst- Disclaimer
case scenario, the collapse of Eskom is The author wishes to state upfront that the views expressed in this article may
to be avoided. Eskom now also needs not represent the views of all the members of the respective organisations he
urgent interventions to make it once represents, given inter alia the diversity of the respective membership profiles of those
again an abundant organisation as per organisations.
the Ulrichs’ model.
In closing, I believe that any new About the author
CEO (and COO) that gets appointed Vally Padayachee, CD(SA), FInstD; FIRMSA; MBA; MSc (Eng); GCC; EDP (Wits). Power and
by Eskom now must be someone that Energy Expert, Former Eskom executive manager and former City Power JHB executive.
has significant competencies and Padayachee has over 40 years’ hands-on experience across all levels from operational,
experience in having successfully turned technical, management, executive, director, CEO up to and including Board level in the
around companies like Eskom from a power and energy sectors. His profile also includes having worked in such major blue-
psychological perspective, in addition to chip companies as Toyota Manufacturing SA, SAPREF Shell and BP Refineries, Mobil/
possessing competencies in the other Engen Refinery, Eskom Generation, City Power JHB, GIBB Consulting Engineers and
turnaround areas as mentioned. Altron Power (Powertech).
I believe that the psychological
turnaround of Eskom must trump all Send your comments to rogerl@nowmedia.co.za

Just when needed, French nukes

disappoint

EDF delivers less just when Europe needs more

by Fereidoon Sioshansi, PhD, Menlo Energy Economics

s winter approached and Europe needed more nuclear-generated power
from France’s 56 operating reactors, its operator Électricité de France (EDF)
Aannounced more problems and more outages at its reactors resulting in
less output in the coming months. The state-owned utility said it was expecting
extended outages at four reactors and maintenance delays at others. The news sent
wholesale electricity prices in France for the middle of winter to above €1000/MWh
(roughly R18 000/MWh).
This would have been embarrassing for EDF in normal times. With the current
curtailments in Russian gas supplies to Europe, it was even worse.
As reported in the press, roughly half of France’s 56 reactors are out of action or
not operating at full capacity due to scheduled or emergency maintenance problems.
The timing is particularly bad as France would normally consume the output of
some 45 GW of nuclear capacity in a cold day in January but recently only 25 GW
are online.
France, which was ranked behind only the US and slightly ahead of China in
nuclear generation in 2020 has fallen behind due to maintenance problems at some Fereidoon Sioshansi
of its ageing reactors.
EDF’s nuclear problems casts doubts on its ability to build the two new reactors Acknowledgement
in the UK as well as President Emanuel Macron’s desire to increase the country’s This article was first published in
nuclear generation capacity partially in response to the energy supply security EEnergy Informer, December 2022, and
issues emanating from the war in Ukraine. is republished here with permission.

energize | Issue 1 2023 | 19