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Eskom backtracks on mine deal Posted: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 [miningmx.com] -- ESKOM has told Gold Fields, the world’s fourth-largest gold producer, -- and the rest of the mining industry -- that electricity consumption must not be increased to 90% of regular consumption and instead remain at 80%, which puts shafts at risk. “Gold Fields is disappointed to confirm that Eskom has informed the Company that authorisation to increase electricity load from 80% to 90% by this evening, has been temporarily withdrawn in order to ‘protect further frequency decay and system instability’,” Gold Fields said in a statement. AngloGold Ashanti spokesman Steve Lenahan said the message from Eskom had gone out to all mining companies. "We are meeting about it right now. I can't tell you much more than that," he said. Eskom's request to curb power usage went to 138 of its large industrial customers, which are those that use 100 gigawatt hours or more a year. There is no time frame for when they will be able to increase usage to 90%, said Andrew Etzinger, general manager for demand-side management. "Our industrial customers had been increasing their demand steadily, and this morning that demand coupled with our supply problems meant our grid became less stable than we'd like and the integrity of our grid must be protected at all times," Etzinger told Miningmx. "As soon as we are able we will invite the industrial customers to increase their load again," he said. Gold Fields CEO Ian Cockerill said at a results presentation on Thursday that even at 90% power six of the company's 21 shafts were at risk and at 80% that number rose to nine. Click Here to subscribe to our daily newsletter
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