New Technical Review Team for Eskom appointed 

4 March 2019

The Minister of Public Enterprises, Mr Pravin Gordhan, the Chairman of the Eskom Board, Mr Jabu Mabuza, and the Eskom CEO, Mr Phakamani Radebe, today met 11 industry specialists who were appointed as members of the new Eskom Technical Review Team.

The Technical Review Team includes academic-, engineering- and power systems professionals and is required to conduct a rapid but intensive review of the operations, maintenance and the technical environment at Eskom power stations within four weeks of commencing their work.

The Team will examine:

- Plant unavailability due to scheduled maintenance;

- Plant unavailability due to unplanned outages and unscheduled maintenance;

- Operator errors resulting in power plants tripping and shutting down; and

- Technical and operator-associated inefficiencies resulting in lower than optimum electricity output from the power station units.

The Technical Team will report to Minister Gordhan and to a Technical sub-committee of the Eskom board. The Team will meet again on Friday, 08 March 2019, to develop the methodology and work programme and will formally begin executing their mandate on Monday, 11 March 2019.

The Eskom CEO will facilitate the work of the Technical Review Team by allocating up to three technical, operating and engineering personnel, who will assist with access and information collection.

The members of the new Technical Review Team are:

Dr Tsakani Mthombeni (Coordinator)

Mr Ian Morrison (Coordinator)

Mr Seeralan Chinaboo

Ms Khumo Morolo

Mr Gladman Mkwai

Mr Robbie van Heerden

Mr Sibuyela Sishuba

Dr Walter Schmitz

Mr Vitesh Maharaj

Mr Lwazi Goqwana

Ms Phindile Mooketsi

Dr Mthombeni is the Chairperson of the Energy Intensive Users Group (EIUG) and also served on the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Sustainability Task Team for Eskom.

Mr Ian Morrison is a retired executive, with many years of experience as an engineer and mining professional.

Issued b Adrian Lackay on behalf of Department of Public Enterprises, 4 March 2019