About - Company Information

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Hex River power station

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Vierfontein power station

Soaring demand for power challenged Escom in the post-war period. This demand came from industrial growth in the Vaal Triangle (Vereeniging/Vanderbijlpark/Sasolburg) area, on the Witwatersrand, in the big cities and the Northern Transvaal (now known as Limpopo Province).

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Salt River 2 power station

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Umgeni power station

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Highveld power station

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Taaibos power station

Escom had to restrict electricity consumption to avoid injury to the national economy. Every effort was being made to obtain additional generation and transmission equipment. Plans were made to erect Hex River and Salt River 2 (both in Cape Province, now called Western Cape) and Umgeni (in Natal) power stations. Vierfontein power station was to follow.
PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO VIEW ENLARGED VERSION Wilge power station PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO VIEW ENLARGED VERSION Komati power station
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Between 1945 and 1955 the capacity of Escom’s power stations more than doubled. Escom estimated that, over the succeeding 10 years, capacity would have to be doubled again. This could only be achieved by building larger power stations. The first two of these larger stations were Highveld and Taaibos, near Sasolburg in the northern Orange Free State. The erection of the smaller Wilge power station launched the large-scale exploitation of the rich Eastern Transvaal coal-fields for power generation. Escom’s biggest coal-fired power stations were to be erected in this area. Komati power station was commissioned in 1962 with a capacity of 1 000 MW. Ingagane power station, near the town of Newcastle in Natal, followed. The planning of West Bank 2 (in East London) and Swartkops (in Port Elizabeth) was undertaken in the fifties. Swartkops was sold to the Municipality of Port Elizabeth in April 1955.	PLEASE CLICK ON PHOTOGRAPH TO VIEW ENLARGED VERSION ESCOM Centre

Dr J T Hattingh succeeded Mr A M Jacobs as Chairman of Escom in 1952. Escom moved into another Head Office building in Johannesburg in 1958. It was called Escom Centre. Escom had successfully confronted post-war conditions and was planning prudently for the future. Power stations were commissioned and transmission systems expanded. This success was helped by the country’s great economic progress and the ingenuity of Escom personnel.

This webpage was last updated on the 15 June, 2004

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