The second unit (Unit 5) of Eskom’s new power station, Medupi, moved closer to commercial operation on Saturday when it ran at full load and generated 796MW, the utility announced on Tuesday. "This is a significant achievement since its successful synchronisation on September 8 2016 and indicates that Unit 5 is closer to commercial operation," said Eskom in a statement. Full load indicated the plant’s ability to meet design output after commissioning. It is a major milestone in the process of optimisation of the unit en route to commercial operation. "We believe that power from this unit will go a long way in strengthening the power supply to the country," Eskom’s interim CEO Matshela Koko said. "Unit 5 will progressively be tested and fine-tuned until the systems are fully operable and reliable for final handover. During this final optimisation and testing phase, the unit is not expected to stay on load for long periods of time and will deliver power intermittently." Medupi is a gr...
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