Kusile adds 800MW to Eskom grid as final unit comes online

Eskom has added Kusile power station’s final unit, unit 6, to the national grid, bringing it closer to its goal of adding 2,500MW of new capacity by this month.

Once all units at Kusile are fully operational, the power station will contribute 4,800MW to the national grid, making it the nation’s largest infrastructure project. 

According to the power utility, its sister project, Medupi, will see its unit 4 return 800MW by the end of April after an extended outage caused by a generator stator failure. The new build power station projects will essentially be completed once Kusile unit 6 is in commercial operation.

Kusile is the first power station in SA and Africa to implement wet flue gas desulphurisation technology, aligning with global best practices to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions and comply with air quality standards.

Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo said the power utility was at a critical point in returning megawatts to the grid, as the country was in a constrained state.

“The milestone is testament to the dedication and resilience of Eskom’s employees and contractors. Their commitment has driven us forward despite many challenges. As we celebrate the progress, our focus is on ensuring unit 6 achieves commercial operation in the second half of 2025, further strengthening SA’s energy security,” he said.

Eskom group CEO Dan Marokane said the addition of Kusile unit 6 was proof that the utility was making progress in stabilising and strengthening electricity supply.

“Meeting the targets we set in the generation recovery plan and our strategic road map underscores our determination to deliver new capacity, enhance generation performance, support economic growth and ultimately deliver a more sustainable energy future.

“We reiterate our commitment to ensuring SA is in no way returning to the levels of load-shedding we experienced in 2023, and our focus remains on delivering a more reliable, resilient and sustainable power system for the country,” Marokane said.

Eskom said that over the next six months, the unit would undergo extensive testing and optimisation before reaching commercial operation, when its 800MW capacity would be officially added to its generation fleet.

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