As South Africa continues to experience bouts of load shedding with no reprieve, have you ever wondered how Eskom generates electricity and transports it to households?
A video has been posted on TikTok explaining the detailed process of electricity generation.
Eskom produces most of its electricity at power plants that use coal as their energy source, but they also operate gas-fired, nuclear, hydroelectric (water power), and pumped-storage plants.
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A pumped-storage plant is a type of hydroelectric plant that operates at times when demand for power is very high.
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Eskom is among the biggest power utilities in the world, famous for its ability to handle vast tonnages of -grade coal.
Its power plants are mostly coal with one nuclear station and some pumped storage (water).
Only a few minor power generators have remained outside Eskom’s fold.
Electricity from coal
Eskom on its website said producing electricity from coal starts when the coal is pulverised into a fine powder in huge mills, before it is blown into huge kettles, called boilers.
Due to the heat in the boiler, the coal particles combust and burn, to generate heat which turns water into steam. The steam from the boilers is used to turn the blades of a giant fan or propeller, called a turbine.
The turbine turns a coil made of copper wire (the rotor) inside a magnet (the stator). Together they make up the generator.
The generator produces an electric current, which is sent to the homes and factories of consumers via power lines.
Electricity from Open Cycle Gas Turbines (OCGT)
The OCGT are powered by fuel oil (Diesel), and operate on a similar principle as coal-fired generators, except that it costs multiple times more.
This is why these units supply electricity into the national grid only during peak hours and in emergency situations.
In addition to their generating capabilities the units are also used to regulate network voltage fluctuations (SCO – Synchronous Condenser Operation).
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