Eskom has announced that Kusile Unit 4, in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga, has entered into commercial operation, adding some 800 MW of much-needed generation capacity to South Africa’s load-shedding-prone electricity system.

The unit is the fourth of six units to enter commercial operation at the much-delayed 4 800-MW project, where design defects have also negatively affected the performance of the units that have been connected previously.

In addition, the Kusile units are the first to incorporate wet flue gas desulphurisation technology (WFGD), which Eskom has confirmed to be a major source of regular unit trips.

Eskom estimates a cost to completion at Kusile of R145-billion, excluding WFGD.

The utility has indicated that, based on its experience at Kusile, it would cost between R35-billion and R42-billion to add the atmospheric emission abatement technology to the Medupi power station, in Limpopo.

Kusile Unit 4 was connected to the national grid for the first time on December 23 last year and was formally handed over to the generation division on May 31, following five months of testing and optimisation.

Group executive for capital projects Bheki Nxumalo described the development as a milestone and reported that the project team was working to complete the rest of the units without any further delays.

Nxumalo said Kusile units 5 and 6 continued to progress according to plan.

The Eskom board recently approved target dates for the completion of the remaining Kusile units, with Unit 5 officially scheduled to enter into commercial operation in December 2023 and Unit 6 in May 2024.

COO Jan Oberholzer stated previously that Eskom had every intention of “beating those dates”.

To do so, however, would require more rapid progress on securing coal for the plant, as well as ensuring that the ash-handling facilities were in place.