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Articles: New Koeberg rotor arrives in Cape

Posted by admin on Thursday, April 06, 2006 - 08:32 AM

CAPE TOWN — The replacement rotor for the Koeberg Unit 1 electricity generator arrived in Cape Town harbour yesterday on board a navy supply ship.
Jonathan Katzenellenbogen

This has raised hopes that government could bring an end to the Western Cape blackouts which have cost business an estimated R6bn. However, it will not be until the middle of next month that Western Cape, which has suffered intermittent power blackouts since January, will have a fully operational unit that will bring some relief to residents and businesses. Three heavy duty cranes will lift the 200-ton rotor on to a flatbed truck for transportation to Koeberg. The SAS Drakensberg was escorting a new submarine to Simonstown when it was diverted to France to fetch the rotor. The deal between Electricite de France, the French state-owned utility, and Eskom was the result of an urgent telephone call from President Thabo Mbeki to French President Jacques Chirac. In terms of the deal, the damaged rotor will be sent to France once repaired in SA. The ship was greeted by Eskom CEO Thulani Gcabashe, Western Cape premier Ebrahim Rasool, Cape Town mayor Helen Zille, the French ambassador Jean Felix-Paganon and navy chief Vice-Admiral Refiloe Mudimu. The navy dubbed the transport of the rotor “Operation Khanyisa” (Zulu for to give light).

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