Profile of power generation in South Africa - Eskom's evolution

South Africa was one of the first countries in the world to use electricity on a commercial basis. As elsewhere, the supply of electricity began under the auspices of various municipalities. In 1892 the diamond mining town of Kimberley was the first to introduce electric street lighting. The need for a national power system which could meet the demand of the entire country led to the Electricity Act of 1922 and the establishment of the Electricity Supply Commission in 1923. Eskom began generating power in 1925 and soon became South Africa's leading electricity supplier and today ranks among the largest electricity utilities in the world. Eskom's 26 power stations have an installed capacity of 34 141MW. These include 18 coal fired, three gas-turbine, two hydroelectric, one nuclear power and two pumped-storage stations. Eskom operates one of the most sophisticated transmission networks in the world, which now includes 765kV lines, the first to operate successfully at this voltage at high altitude. Electricity can be distributed anywhere in South Africa and is exported to neighbouring countries. (3 figures, 2 tables, 6 references). (Author)