[miningmx.com] – ESKOM has called on its largest industrial customers to throttle back electricity consumption 10% until about 9pm February 20 with the power-hungry aluminium smelters owned by BHP Billiton and ferrochrome smelters owned by GlencoreXstrata most likely effected.
“The power system is severely constrained today due to the loss of additional generating units from our power station fleet, reduced imports and the extensive use of emergency reserves,” it said in an announcement.
It added that it would consider load-shedding in order to protect the national grid. The emergency protocol would be reviewed to determine the way forward, it said. Eskom last called an emergency protocol on November 19, 2013 and lifted it four days later on November 22.
