SA mines shut operations because of Eskom

By Allan Seccombbe | Business Day

Eskom’s unprecedented cut of 6,000MW from the country’s power grid has forced companies to stop their mines on Monday nights.

SA’s mining companies shut their underground mining operations and processing plants on Monday night because of unprecedented power cuts by monopoly electricity supplier Eskom.

Eskom has moved to stage six load-shedding cutting 6,000MW  from its capacity as it grappled with a technical fault at its new Medupi power station, a plant that has run over costs and timelines. Wet coal and technical problems at other coal-burning plants have also contributed to the crisis.

It is the first time Eskom, the state-owed utility that has R450bn of debt, has removed so much power from the grid.

Impala Platinum, the world’s third-largest platinum miner, and Harmony Gold both said they had stopped their night shifts because of the power shortages.

“It’s very serious. We are not able to produce. What we lose today we can never catch up. If you lose a production shift it’s gone for good,” said Implats spokesperson Johan Theron…Full Story