Eskom moves through ‘tight' maintenance peak unscathed - South Africa's State-owned power utility has passed through its "very tight" 2009 peak summer maintenance period without incident, despite the fact that power demand during the last weeks of December (when maintenance peaked) was higher than that recorded in December 2008 and 2007.

Group generation MD Thava Govender told Engineering News Online on Wednesday that the State-owned utility's maintenance programme peaked at around 8 500 MW in weeks 51 and 52, when demand was running at around 30 600 MW and 29 300 MW respectively. [Engineering News]

Gas emerging as strong player in African power market - Gas turbines would add at least 12 000 MW of electricity generation capacity in sub-Saharan Africa by 2014, growth consultancy firm Frost & Sullivan reported on Wednesday.

The consultancy expects more than 150 gas turbines to be sold in this region up to 2014, saying that power project developers have shifted their focus towards gas turbine-powered solutions to mitigate the African continent’s power shortages. [Engineering News]

Angola's only refinery to shut for maintenance - Angola's only refinery will shut down for maintenance between May and June, state-owned news agency Angop said on Wednesday, citing the country's Oil Minister Jose Botelho de Vasconcelos.

The refinery was built in the 1950s and the 37 500 barrels per day it produces are far below Angola's domestic needs, which have led the the oil-producing nation to import more than 60% of its refined products. [Engineering News]