South Africa's grid will receive an additional 800 MW as Kusile Power Station's Unit 5 generator achieved commercial operation on June 30.
The return of the 800 MW, which is part of Eskom's Generation Operational Recovery Plan, is a portion of the total 2 500 MW expected to be added to the power utility's generation mix by the end of the year, said Dan Marokane, Eskom’s Group Chief Executive.
The unit was initially synchronised to the grid on December 31 last year. Since then, it has undergone a series of tests while intermittently supplying electricity. During this time, Eskom reported that it has met performance expectations, supported the grid and helped reduce load shedding.
On completion, Kusile Power Station will consist of six units producing 4 800 MW. Construction of the remaining Kusile Unit 6 is expected to be synchronised to the grid in November 2024.
The unit will be crucial in stabilising South Africa’s electricity network, said Isabel Fick, Eskom’s System Operator General Manager. “Kusile Unit 5 makes an extremely valuable contribution to the national grid. Not only is it one of the largest baseload units contributing megawatts, it also enhances the stability of the network through its nature.”
The power station is equipped with wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) technology, which is a first for a power station in Africa, Eskom said. WFGD removes sulphur dioxide from flue gas before it is released into the atmosphere, ensuring compliance with air quality standards.
Eskom originally planned to have Kusile completed by 2014 but the project faced challenges due to design defects resulting in its costs increasing to over R161 billion from an original budget of R81 billion. Located near eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, it is South Africa’s largest construction project and will be the world’s fourth-largest coal plant on completion.
