Power Utility a Profitable Legacy of 2010 Olympics

A heat-from-sewage facility built in Vancouver's 2010 Olympic Village is working so well that city officials are able to charge customers less for power and still take in a profit.

In what city engineers said is a happy and surprising discovery, the cost of operating the facility has dropped by 40 per cent while recovery from heat generated from sewage pipes has risen.

As a result, the utility, which provides heat to all of the Olympic Village as well as surrounding commercial and residential buildings, has already met its target of being price-competitive with BC Hydro, Brian Crowe, an assistant city engineer, told city council Thursday.

Next March Hydro will raise electricity rates across the province to about $87 per kilowatt hour. But the city's utility, which services about 1,600 homes and businesses, is able to offer a price of $84 per kilowatt hour and still make a reasonable profit for the city, Crowe said.

Olympic Village's heat-from-sewage utility a monetary success
The Vancouver Sun
December 2, 2010

Despite Cutbacks By Mining Industry, Power Outages Are Likely During World Cup

The mining industry has been asked to limit its use of energy during the World Cup to stave off any possible power outages, which is expected to push metal prices up. But even with these efforts, energy officials say there's no guarantee that power supply will be able to match demand.

Eskom, the South African power utility, is under such strain that voluntary action may not be enough to prevent a crunch in supply.

South Africa generates between 36 gigawatts and 39 gigawatts of power, depending on availability. Demand during the World Cup is estimated to be 37.2 gigawatts, prompting fears that electricity supply to big industrial consumers could be rationed.

World Cup 2010 faces threat of blackouts and soaring metal prices
Times
March 20, 2010

Generators Act as Safety Net Against Power Outages During Cup Games

The threat of intermittent power outages throughout South Africa will be addressed in World Cup stadia during events through the donation of diesel generators from energy corporation BP.

It was confirmed in April last year that neighbouring countries of South Africa would, if called upon, divert electricity supply to South Africa however, these now appears to be a backup solution if all stadiums are now to run on BP powered generators.

BP to power 2010 World Cup stadiums
World Cup 2010 South Africa
March 16, 2010

Blackouts and Energy Loss a Concern During World Cup

Energy company Eskom is assuring South Africans that there will be no power outages due to increased demand during the World Cup. The economic recession and rising mineral prices have many concerned about outages and economic losses as energy demands rise sharply during the World Cup.

Officials at the parastatal energy giant Eskom say they are confident they will not have any blackouts during the matches, which kick off on June 11 and run for one month.

But South Africans have sharp memories of nationwide power failures in January 2008, which shut down the critical mining sector, hobbled factories and left cities plunged into darkness for days.

Strain on the electricity supply eased as the global recession sapped mining orders and cut demand for power from the energy-intensive industry.

Eskom answers 2010 power concerns
AFP
October 11, 2009

Hotel Shortages in Durban; Neighbors Pledge Energy for World Cup

Durban is expected to need almost 20,000 additional hotel rooms by the time the World Cup begins next year. In other news, neighboring nations have pledged to contribute power to South Africa during the 2010 event to ensure there are no shortages or blackouts.

More than 35 000 hotel rooms have been pledged to accommodate visiting football fans during the 2010 Fifa World Cup and more than 19 000 are still needed.

With 408 days left until the football showpiece gets under way, South Africa's neighbours have also pledged to help ensure an adequate power supply for the World Cup, Eskom said on Monday.

"The Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) on Tuesday pledged to support South Africa ... in areas of generation, transmission, customer contributions and demand side management initiatives at a meeting that took place in Maputo, Mozambique."

Countries that make up the Sapp include Angola, Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Durban short of 2010 beds
Independent Online
April 28, 2009