Corporates cut power consumption

INDUSTRIES were asked to cut their power consumption but many have already done so.

Last week, state-owned power utility Eskom alerted its industrial customers to compress their power consumption by 10% to relieve its severely constrained power system.

But Zululand’s key corporates such as Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) and Tronox KZN Sands as well as aluminium smelter BHP Billiton and Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT) said they have already laid down the law to reduce their loads with regulatory protocols long before the announcement was made last Thursday.

Speaking about Richards Bay’s Hillside and Bayside operations, BHP Billiton Head of External Affairs Aroon Patel said its contracts include an interrupt-ability provision, allowing Eskom to load-shed both smelters to assist in maintaining power supply in South Africa during peak periods.

‘Since 2008, we have reduced our power consumption by roughly 10% on a continuous basis, in the form of the mothballing of Potlines B and C at Bayside,’ said Patel.

‘In addition, we have been successful in operating our remaining operations with improved stability and energy efficiency.

‘For contingency measures and to assist in power reduction, ASA (BHP Billiton Aluminium SA) is in constant discussion and collaboration with Eskom to minimise impact and anticipate disruption.’

Tronox KZN Sands also said it had ‘taken steps well before the electricity supply constraints’.

Like BHP’s smelters, Tronox’s two furnaces are on a Demand Management Programme (DMP) with Eskom, enforcing automatic load-shedding when national energy levels run low.

Furthermore, the company is currently replacing electrical motors with high efficiency ones and mechanical systems are designed to use lower electrical energy consumption.

RBM said it had recently embarked on an energy leadership programme (ELP) in partnership with global sustainability consultancy Ensight Energy Solutions to mould and implement an energy management strategy.

‘Key deliverables will include sustained energy efficiency improvements to plants and processes, energy cost savings and a reduction in RBM’s carbon footprint,’ said RBM Electrical Systems Manager Sunesh Ramkissoon.

‘The implementation of the initial portfolio of 26 projects would realise a reduction in our current energy demand thereby providing the relief required by the power utility.’

Although RBCT is still recovering from its nine-day power outage and is working to reduce the backlog of vessels, the terminal said it is consuming about 23 MVa.

‘This is 11.5% less than our approved consumption of 26 MVa,’ said RBCT Acting CEO Jabu Mdaki.

‘We are doing this by selecting energy efficient routes to move coal.’