M.Ing. / The aim of this research is to develop a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model to evaluate project management efficiency in a large Parastatal such as Eskom Distribution. This model will identify areas of improvement to assist a large Parastatal in improving their project management performance. It will eventually assist the organisation to build a culture of project management excellence. The hypotheses for the study were that firstly, the Parastatal does implement project management practice processes as advocated by project management bodies of knowledge. Secondly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model can be successfully implemented at a large Parastatal and help the Parastatal to identify project management grey areas that require improvement. Thirdly, a Project Management Maturity Measurement Model could assist a large Parastatal with project management improvement as a result of areas of recommendations. The method used to collect the required data for analysis and interpretation was the descriptive survey method. A customised survey questionnaire was developed to obtain data from research sample. Data was analysed using appropriate statistical techniques. The research sample was defined as the people who are primarily responsible for project, programme and portfolio management at a large Parastatal. The results of the data analysed pin pointed project management process weaknesses and possible improvement opportunities. Three main areas of improvement have been identified, namely applying lessons learned from previous project into future project, performing benchmarking to improve performance and project control processes. The findings of this study support the abovementioned hypotheses, and the insights provided and recommendations made will be of great help to a large Parastatal on its road to continuous improvement and building a culture of project management excellence.

M.Ing. / This dissertation deals with the implementation of a Reliability Basis Optimisation Process for Eskom’s fossil fired Power Stations. This study comes about as a result of the situation that Eskom currently finds itself in. Eskom currently has a generating capacity of 41 000MW. It supplies 95% of South Africa’s power requirements and 45% of Africa’s power requirements. With the unprecedented economical growth that South Africa has experienced in the last five years, coupled with the economic recession of 2008/2009, Eskom has found itself in a precarious position in terms of power delivery. Eskom’s request for a 45% tariff increase in its Multi Price Determination (MYPD2) application to NERSA was turned down and a figure of 25% was awarded. Eskom’s current reserve margin is currently lies as less than 10%. With the funding restrains it now becomes difficult to replace machinery as it fails. The focus now shifts of carrying out effective maintenance. Eskom established the Asset Management Department with a view to ensure that the right maintenance was carried out. Within the Asset Management Department the Reliability Basis Optimisation (RBO) Process was established. The aim of the RBO stream is to improve the reliability and availability of the fossil fired Power Station. This dissertation looks at how the RBO process was developed and rolled out to the Power Stations. It also gives a brief overview of the Asset Management Improvement process to which the RBO process is the backbone.

M. Phil. / Presently, ESKOM is rated as the fifth largest utility in the world that generates and distributes electricity power to their consumers at the lowest price per kilowatt-hour (kW.h). As a utility, ESKOM is the largest supplier of electrical energy in South Africa and is currently generating and distributing on demand to approximately 3000 consumers. This represents 92% of the South African market. ESKOM was selected as the utility supplying electrical energy for the purpose of this study. ESKOM's objective is to provide the means and systems by which the consumer can be satisfied with electricity at the most cost-effective manner. In order to integrate the consumers into these objectives, ESKOM took a decision in 1994 to change the supply tariff from active power (kW) to apparent power (kVA) for a number of reasons: To establish a structure whereby the utility and the consumer can control the utilisation of electrical power supply to the consumer. To utilise demand and control through power factor correction and implementation of load management systems. To identify some cost implications of electrical power factor correction and load management. Consumers with kW maximum demand tariff options had little or no financial incentives to improve their low power factor (PF) by reducing their reactive current supply. Switching to (kVA) maximum demand will involve steps to be taken to ensure that the reactive component is kept to a minimum with maximum power factor. ESKOM has structured various tariff rates and charges with unique features that would accommodate the consumers in their demand side management and load cost requirements, which, when applied, will result in an efficient and cost effective load profile. These tariffs are designed to guide consumers automatically into an efficient way of using electrical power, as it is designed to recover both the capital investment and the operating cost within two to three years after installation of power factor correction equipment. ESKOM's concept of Time-of-use (TOU) periods for peak, standard and off-peak times during week, Saturday and Sunday periods is discussed as load management. Interruptible loads can be scheduled or shed to suit lower tariff rates and to avoid maximum demand charge. The concept of load management will change the operation pattern of the consumer's electricity demand whereby the consumer will have immediate technical and financial benefits. In the last chapter of this dissertation, a hypothetical case study addresses and concludes on some of the technical and cost implications of electrical power factor correction and load management as a successful and profitable solution to optimize electrical power supply to the consumer. By implementing the above, ESKOM ensures that the consumer utilizes the electrical power supply to its optimum level at the lowest cost per kilowatthour (kW.h) generated.

M.Ing. (Electrical and Electronic Engineering) / The present Eskom procedure used for allocating harmonic current injection limits to large customers have been in use for the past three years. This thesis presents an international comparison of the Eskom procedure with other procedures. This comparison is used as a basis for development of recommendations that can lead to improvement of the present procedure ...

The King II Report on Corporate Governance was released in March 2002. This report, although focusing on South African businesses, is acclaimed as a world first in setting superior governance standards. Corporate governance in South Africa is undergoing transformation due to the influence of the King II Report, and a range of other global trends such as Global Reporting Initiative guidelines and the infamous collapse of Enron due to governance failures. Non-financial reporting (also referred to as sustainability reporting) forms the main focus of this research project. The financial reporting aspects of corporate governance, and the role of governing boards and auditors fall outside the scope of this study. Through document analysis methods, Eskom's annual reports from 1998 - 2002, were analysed to establish whether patterns in sustainability reporting were identifiable. Employees and consumers of Eskom were. interviewed, using structured interviews to explore their awareness and knowledge regarding sustainability issues. A drastic increase in Eskom's non-financial reporting was identified in 2000. Apart from the corporate governance category, none of the chosen categories showed a major change after the 2002 release of the King II Report. Possible reasons for the lack of clear trends since 2002 are that the pattern is either not yet visible or it could be speculated that Eskom, who had won various reporting awards, is a leader in the field of corporate reporting and specifically on sustainability issues. Eskom had been involved in the reviewing of the first King Report and the drawing up of the recommendations for King II, and could therefore have modified their reporting procedures in 2000, prior'to the release of King II. As shown in the trend analysis, companies are coming under increased pressure to be socially accountable and transparent. This is fast becoming a 'core business issue', illustrated by the status of the King II Report requirements for corporate governance. Even though the terminology 'sustainability reporting' is unfamiliar to employees and consumers, both groups want disclosure and transparency of sustainability issues. Employees were, however, more aware than consumers of Eskom policies regarding sustainability issues. This report recommends that companies take a pro-active approach to corporate governance and sustainability reporting, noting the desire of consumers and employees to be informed about non-financial issues. These stakeholders also need to be made more aware of the meaning and significance of sustainability reporting.

This research paper is broken up into three sections, namely an evaluation report, a literature review and research methodology. The evaluation report section is the assessment of the current state of change readiness within the Eskom Contact Centre’s based upon what the literature on change readiness prescribes. The timing of the change readiness assessment is just prior to significant organisational change. The organisational change that was about to be initiated by the organisation was initiated from the boardroom of the most senior echelons of the organisation, and was directed in a top down approach, being a strategic organisational change. The change is deemed to be critical to the organisation being able to meet its long term strategic and sustainability objectives. A critical examination of the literature explored the meaning of change readiness, the importance of it and explained the consequences for organisations that commit to transformational agendas without being ready. Key concepts such as such resistance to change and organisational inertia are described and differentiated from change readiness. The ADKAR change model and its change readiness assessment instrument were used due to the organisations preference for the model. The ADKAR model formed the framework for the analyses of the data, the discussion of the results and the recommendations to the organisation. The research conducted was quantitative in nature; a questionnaire was distributed to the employees of the seven Eskom Contact centre sites around the country through an email. A slightly modified version of the ADKAR change readiness questionnaire was sent via email with an on-line questionnaire link on it; and questions on individual readiness for change were used to assess the level of readiness of the employees. Most of the descriptive and inferential statistics were analysed with the use of Excel (version, 2010), with Factor Analysis being done in research showed that: - The factors as proposed by the ADKAR change readiness assessment questionnaire (i.e. Awareness, Desire, Knowledge, Ability and Reinforcement) are not different enough to be considered as independent factors for this data set. Based on factor analysis, the factors were subsequently amended from five to three, namely Readiness, Opportunity Realisation and Uncertainty. - The Contact Centre employees were somewhat ready for change. - The Contact Centres needed to focus on all amended ADKAR factors in order to improve the readiness of the department. - The readiness levels in response to the roll out were more or less uniform. The study shows that given Eskom’s preference for the ADKAR model, future research within Eskom should therefore be conducted more circumspectly with respect to ascertaining the validity of the ADKAR factors. The study also makes mention that future work and/or research will need to be conducted, specifically on the readiness of the organisation itself, in order to improve the probability of transformational success. The ADKAR assessment is a people focused assessment and therefore focuses only on the readiness of the individual. Factors such as the adequacy of the current state of resources within the organisation, which incorporate aspects such as infrastructure, technology and staffing, will also need to be assessed to make a more holistic statement of change readiness. A concise review of the literature is incorporated into the Evaluation Report of Section 1 to underpin the study. In Section 2 a more extensive review of the literature is presented. Similarly, the design of the research is discussed in more detail in Section 3 to both describe and justify the appropriateness of the research methodology, and to give a detailed account of the way in which the research was carried out.

M.Ing. / Water gives life. It waters the fields of farmers; it nurtures the crops and stock of rural communities; it provides recreation for our children, our friends, our families; it supports our power generation, our mines, our industry, and the plants and animals that make up ecosystems. Water is the key to development and a good quality of life in South Africa. South Africa's water belongs to its people. It is the task of the South African Government to care for this water, to seek its fair distribution, and to facilitate its wise use for, amongst other things, social and economical development. Issues such as water resource management, use, protection, water services, etc., are presently governed by a number of policies, acts and regulations. All South Africans has a responsibility regarding the management of the country's resources. The supply of water to its entire people makes it extremely important to optimise the use of this scarce source. Access to water and water availability remains a key factor in ensuring the sustainability of development in Southern Africa. The coal fired power industry is a major user of natural resources; coal for fuel and water for steam generation as well as the cooling systems. It is estimated that 1.5% of the water abstracted in South Africa is used for power generation. The power industry receives its water mainly as abstraction from surface impoundments in the form of rivers and dams. Eskom, as a strategic user of water, is mindful of the importance of water to its business, as well as the development of the country. In addition to the interests of the government as the shareholder, Eskom recognises the legitimate interests, as stakeholders, of specific government departments, employees, consumers, suppliers, investors and lenders of capital, rating agencies, the media, policy and regulatory bodies, trade unions, non-governmental groups and local communities in its affairs. Eskom needs to ensure, through an effective water management strategy, that water is used wisely and effectively and that Eskom's impact on local water resources (surface and underground) is minimised. Eskom therefore has to manage water resources in a manner that will sustain the ecological integrity, support social development and ensure economic growth. Eskom has undertaken to benchmark the power generation industry, in co-operation with the DW AF, in a project aimed at developing the principles of water conservation and water demand management. In order to effectively manage water quality and quantity at Eskom's power stations, and to show Eskom's commitment with regard to water conservation and use, Eskom has compiled its own water and environmental policies.

M.Sc. / The transmission system of Eskom occupies approximately 28 000 km of servitude that crosses a number of biomes in South Africa. The management of these servitudes, with respect to the impacts that the system has on the surrounding environment, as well as the effect of biotic, social and natural phenomena on the electrical system, needs to be carefully managed. This study investigates these bi-directional influences to determine which are pertinent to the management to the transmission line servitudes. This study also derives a number of strategic actions and accountabilities for all participating departments in the Transmission Division of Eskom, who are involved in the management of one or more phases of the life cycle of the servitude.

Boiler feed pump turbines (BFPTs) are in use at a number of Eskom power stations. They utilise bled steam extracted from the main turbine in order to drive multistage centrifugal pumps which supply the boilers with feedwater. With an increase of renewables in the energy mix, the need for Eskom’s coal-fired power stations to run for extended periods at very low loads has arguably never been this great. Various systems affect the ability of these generation units to run economically at low loads. One such system is the boiler feed pump turbine and its associated pumps. A station was selected from Eskom’s fleet based on access to information and the station being a relatively typical plant. The Unit (a boiler and turbogenerator set) selected for study was one with the most thorough instrumentation available for remote monitoring. The BFPT system of this Unit was modelled in Flownex, a one-dimensional thermofluid process modelling package. The model included individual pump stages, steam admission valves and a stage-by-stage turbine model utilising custom stage components. These turbine stage components represent each stage with nozzles and other standard Flownex components. The boundary conditions of the system were set as functions of generator load in order to represent typical values for use in case studies. The relationships between load and boundary conditions were based on large samples of data from the station’s data capture system (DCS). A corresponding standby electric feed pump system was also modelled in Flownex for a comparative case study. After model validation, a number of case studies were performed, demonstrating the functionality of the model and also providing specific results of value to the station in question. These results include the minimum generator load possible with different steam supplies; maximum condenser back pressure before plant availability is affected; the viability of changing the pump leak-off philosophy; and the effect of electric feed pump use on power consumption. The main recommendations from the case studies were as follows: i. to stroke the steam admission valves as per the design charts, ii. to test the operation of the BFPT down to 40 % generator load, iii. to keep the pump leak-off philosophy unchanged, iv. to maintain the cooling water system and condensers sufficiently to avoid poor condenser vacuum, v. to reconsider the decommissioning of the “cold reheat” steam supply, vi. and, to favour use of the BFPT over the electric feed pumps at all generator loads.

Manufacturers of feedwater heaters (FWHs) are obliged to disclose a specification sheet to the client that describes their FWH design. However, the client is unable to verify the performance of this FWH design without comparing it to the results that are predicted by a thermal model. An additional limitation is that the manufacturer will only disclose the minimum number of design parameters. The purpose of this study was to develop a thermal model that can predict the performance of a FWH. The model requires the minimum design input data to predict the performance parameters that may be compared to values predicted by the vendor. A FWH in a regenerative water-steam Rankine cycle achieves heat transfer to the feedwater by condensing steam on the shell side. This is called a single zone FWH. The tube plate type FWH is the most common type of FWH referenced in literature but the following variations may exist: • The Eskom fleet consist of both tube plate and header type FWHs. • FWHs may be orientated vertically or horizontally. Internal shrouded regions, that define it as a 2 or 3 zone FWH, may be present in the FWH. The length of the drains cooler (DC) zone may either be identified as long or short. A general model was required to capture all these design variations. Plant visits were arranged with engineers at several power stations to obtain the minimum input data and to confirm that these FWH design variations existed within the Eskom fleet. The model was based on existing tube plate models found in literature. It was then extended to accommodate the FWH variations mentioned above. A further improvement was made by including an additional heat transfer sub-zone that removes excess superheat in the condensing (COND) zone. The vendor does not disclose the correlations used to predict the film heat transfer coefficients (h) in their design. Therefore, the user is granted the option of selecting a correlation from a list of popular correlations, specific to a heat transfer mode. Note that the uncertainty associated with this thermal model is affected by the uncertainty of each correlation selected in the model.