Johannesburg - Power utility Eskom says it has retained Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment (B-BBEE) Level 4 status. The organisation was a Level 8 contributor prior to the 2022 financial year.
The power utility said the improved status puts Eskom in good standing with the B-BBEE Commission and sets the tone for prospective Eskom suppliers, while also serving as encouragement to current suppliers to follow suit and migrate to the best possible B-BBEE levels.
The utility said the B-BBEE programme provides a legislative framework for the transformation of South Africa's economy. Therefore, the accreditation is an affirmation of Eskom’s commitment to contribute meaningfully to the country’s transformation agenda.
"Achieving and retaining the B-BBEE Level 4 status serves as motivation for our continuous efforts to build a high-performance culture in the organisation while maintaining Eskom’s social standing as a corporate citizen," said Eskom Acting Group Chief Executive, Calib Cassim.
Classic added that the power utility will ensure that the necessary standards are upheld to retain its B-BBEE Level 4 accreditation.
"In this regard, the organisation will also drive the implementation of the Transformation Strategy and the enhancement of the Supplier Development, Localisation, and Industrialisation (SDL&I) ecosystem.
"Eskom endeavours to positively impact the lives of South Africans by optimising its contribution to the socio-economic development and transformation of the country at large," Cassim said.
Meanwhile, Eskom said it notes and welcomes the decision by the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment’s (DFFE’s) National Air Quality Officer to grant the organisation a postponement in terms of the Minimum Emission Standards (MES) pertaining to the sulphur dioxide (SO2) emission levels at Kusile Power Station.
Eskom said it also notes and welcomes issuing an updated Atmospheric Emission Licence (AEL) to Kusile Power Station to reflect this postponement decision by the Nkangala District Municipality.
Eskom said the postponement granted on June 5, 2023, and the licences issued on June 13, 2023, mean that Eskom will be able to operate the three units without the use of the Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) plant, which is equipped with emission-abatement technology for SO2, for a period of up to March 31, 2025, while the flue gas ducts in the permanent stack are being repaired.
"The repairs to the ducts in the permanent stack will be completed by December 2024. This comes after the failure of the Unit 1 flue gas duct on October 22, 2022. The failure at Unit 1 subsequently affected Units 2 and 3, as the ducts for all three units are in the same stack (chimney).
"As previously communicated, the temporary stack structures for Unit 3 will be completed by November 2023 and for Units 1 and 2 by December 2023. This will enable the return of 2 100MW, further alleviating pressure on the power system and reducing load shedding by two stages," said the utility.
The postponement and licence are subject to several conditions, including the implementation of measures to mitigate the impact of SO2 emissions on air quality. Eskom will comply with the conditions of the MES postponement and the Atmospheric Emission licence.
The Star