Eskom adds first new capacity in two years as Kusile Unit 5 goes online
Eskom synchronised Unit 5 of the Kusile Power Station to the national grid for the first time at 17:22 on Sunday, 31 December 2023. The unit will contribute an additional 800MW to the country’s power system.
Unlike the three Kusile units returned to service over the past few months, this power has never been part of Eskom’s capacity.
With this achievement, Eskom has added its own first new capacity to the grid for the first time since bringing Kusile Unit 4 online almost exactly two years ago.
Eskom said Unit 5 would supply electricity intermittently during the testing and optimisation phase over the next six months before being transferred into commercial operation and the capacity officially added to the current Eskom fleet.
Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo said the synchronisation marked another significant milestone of sustainably improving the utility’s generation performance.
“We are encouraged that this achievement of our recovery plan immediately follows the return of the three units that were brought online from end September 2023, bringing a total of 3,200MW into the grid,” Nxumalo said.
Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom group executive of generationj
He added the development would further improve Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) and help strengthen South Africa’s electricity capacity.
Nxumalo thanked the Kusile Project team for their commitment and “relentless “efforts in ensuring the project was completed.
“I have confidence that they will continue to work with determination to successfully deliver Unit 5 to commercial operation,” said Nxumalo.
Eskom’s acting group CEO Calib Cassim said the addition of the unit’s capacity would bring hope to South Africans.
“There is enormous effort made to continue the remarkable progress on the new build programme and the Generation Recovery Plan,” said Cassim.
“We remain focused on improving the performance of the generation fleet to reduce the impact of load-shedding felt countrywide, and to lessen the costs on supplementing capacity using the diesel-powered plant.”
More new units set to come online in 2024
Eskom added there was progress in the construction and commissioning of the last Kusile unit yet to be brought online — Unit 6.
According to Eskom’s latest plans, this unit will be synchronised to the grid by August 2024. This will be followed by similar testing as Unit 5 before commercial operation.
Eskom originally planned to have Kusile completed by 2014, but the project was substantially delayed due to corruption and design defects. Its costs have also ballooned to over R161 billion from an original budget of R81 billion.
Once completed, its total of six units will produce a maximum of 4,800MW, qualifying the plant as the world’s fourth-largest power station.
It is also the country’s first to use wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) abatement technology to remove sulphur dioxide from emissions to ensure compliance with international air quality standards.
Eskom also said that repair works to the permanent stack for units 1, 2 and 3 were progressing well, after a part of the structure collapsed in October 2022 due to design faults and mismanagement of the units.
These units were brought back online over the past few months using temporary stacks that emit harmful gasses above legal limits, as part of a temporary exemption granted to Eskom by the environments department.
Eskom will only be allowed to operate the units with these stacks until March 2025.
Eskom added that intensified efforts were also being made to return Unit 4 at Eskom’s other newest power station — Medupi — to service by the end of July 2024.
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