By Johnathan Paoli
South Africa’s energy sector has marked a significant milestone with Eskom successfully integrating the final unit of Kusile Power Station, Unit 6, into the national grid.
It brings Eskom closer to its strategic objective of adding 2500MW of new capacity by March and represents a major step in stabilsing the country’s electricity supply.
“It marks a crucial step towards completing one of South Africa’s largest infrastructure projects and is a key milestone in Eskom’s strategic objective of adding 2.5GW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025,” it said in a statement.
Once all units are fully operational, Kusile Power Station will contribute a total of 4800MW to the grid, making it the largest infrastructure project in South Africa’s history.
In parallel, Medupi Power Station is expected to return Unit 4, an additional 800MW, by the end of April following repairs from a generator stator failure. The completion of both projects will effectively conclude South Africa’s two largest power station expansions.
Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, emphasised the significance of this milestone amid ongoing challenges within the energy sector.
“Eskom is at a critical point in returning megawatts to the grid as we are currently in a constrained state. This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication and resilience of Eskom’s employees and contractors.
“Their commitment has driven us forward despite numerous challenges. As we celebrate this progress, our focus is now on ensuring that Unit 6 achieves commercial operation in the second half of 2025, further strengthening South Africa’s energy security,” he said.
Kusile Power Station also represents a notable advancement in environmental responsibility, being the first power station in South Africa and Africa to implement Wet Flue Gas Desulphurisation technology.
This system aligns with global best practices, significantly reducing sulphur dioxide emissions to comply with air quality standards.
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane reiterated the utility’s commitment to improving the reliability and sustainability of South Africa’s power supply.
“Kusile Unit 6’s addition is proof that we are making continued progress in stabilising and strengthening South Africa’s electricity supply. Meeting the targets we set in the Generation Recovery Plan and our strategic roadmap underscores our determination to deliver new capacity, enhance generation performance, support economic growth and ultimately deliver a more sustainable energy future,” Marokane stated.
He also reassured South Africans that the country would not return to the severe levels of load-shedding experienced in 2023.
“Our focus remains on delivering a more reliable, resilient, and sustainable power system for the country,” he added.
Over the next six months, Kusile Unit 6 will undergo extensive testing and optimisation before reaching full commercial operation, at which point its 800MW capacity will be formally integrated into Eskom’s generation fleet.
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