Platinum mines could be faced with another decade of power blackouts, it has been claimed.

According to independent energy consultant Andrew Kenny, it could take ten years to build up the 15 per cent power reserve needed to ensure steady supply.

Eskom is looking to bring two new coal-fired plants to ease the power shortage but Mr Kenny thinks that these projects would take about six years to complete.

"If all of these projects are built according to plan, and we have economic growth of from four per cent to five per cent, in nine-years time we will be slightly worse off than we are now," he told Engineering News.

Eskom plans to raise tariffs by 60 per cent in a bid to raise funds and Jacob Maroga, the Chief Executive Officer of the firm has called for national talks on the issue.

The African National Congress (ANC) had suggested the idea and Maroga told Engineering News Online that he would "welcome a credible summit".

The National Energy Regulator of South Africa has set an April 29th deadline for all written submissions regarding the tariff increases and a decision on any raise will be made on June 6th.

Meanwhile, Alan Hirsch, Deputy Head of the President's Policy Unit was upbeat about the state of the economy.

Speaking to Mining Weekly, he said: "Our expectation is that we will get our response correct and that we will remove the key obstacles to medium-term."

However, the country's platinum mines are suffering and production figures are beginning to be affected.

Cynthia Carroll, head of Anglo American has already warned of increasing losses in production while Aquarius Platinum posted an increase in profit despite a drop in production.

Source:

SA could face another decade of power cuts, energy consultant warns, 24/04/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=132127

Maroga welcomes ‘national conversation' on energy crisis, 24/04/08
http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=132084

SA to study why it is a resources-investment laggard, 24/04/08
http://www.miningweekly.com/article.php?a_id=132129