Coal+solution+is+just+a+request+away,+Ann+Crotty,+B+Report



=Coal solution is just a simple request away=


 * Ann Crotty, Business Report, Johannesburg, 29 January 2008**

Johannesburg - Eskom has not yet formally approached its three major suppliers to request that they increase their supplies, even though it has blamed shortages of the fuel and difficulties with poor quality coal, delivered by small mining firms under short-term supply contracts, for much of its generation problems.

Coal industry experts are adamant that, despite reports of massive volumes of coal exports, there is still plenty available in the country at reasonable prices. They say Eskom management wasted an opportunity to build up coal stocks over the holiday season, when most coal mines are operational.

Eskom's boiler status report, relating to one day of last week's operations, reveals that coal shortages and difficulties caused by poor-quality coal caused many of its power stations to run significantly below capacity.

Although the parastatal's management has blamed problems caused by wet coal on the unseasonably wet weather, experts point out that rain would not generally cause so many problems if Eskom was using the quality of coal that it traditionally purchases.

In a significant departure from its traditional procurement practices, in which major coal companies supply 100 percent of Eskom's needs under long-term contracts, the power utility is now purchasing as much as 25 percent of its coal in the spot market.

However, it has few systems in place to control the quality of this coal, which is delivered to the power stations by trucks.

"Coal that is being delivered by trucks ... is often of very poor quality and very fine in size," said one expert.

Too much fine coal dust leads to operational problems. In addition, rocks in trucked coal have caused boiler tube leaks, which result in unplanned outages as maintenance is required.


 * From: http://www.busrep.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=4227944**

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