Latest news with #DanMarokane
TimesLIVE
08-07-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
'A soaking rain': Medupi unit 4 returns to service eight months ahead of schedule
Eskom has announced that after nearly four years offline, Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station is officially back online, eight months ahead of schedule and adding a much-needed 800MW to the national grid. 'Eskom is pleased to announce that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station was successfully returned to service today at 8.29pm, adding 800MW to the national grid. This milestone strengthens South Africa's energy security and enhances the stability of electricity supply,' the power utility said in a statement on Monday. The unit had been offline since August 8 2021, after a catastrophic explosion that destroyed its generator stator. The early return was made possible through what Eskom calls 'strategic, cost-effective measures', including the sourcing of a refurbished generator stator from the Netherlands. 'To avoid the costly delays associated with the lengthy delivery time of a new generator stator, Eskom sourced a used stator from the Netherlands as an interim solution, enabling the early return to service of Medupi Unit 4,' said the utility. The refurbished component was transported about 1,000km by road from Richards Bay to the Limpopo-based station, a logistical feat accomplished by Eskom Rotek Industries. 'With the return of Unit 4, all six units at Medupi are now operational and will contribute a combined capacity of 4,800MW to the national grid once the unit reaches full output in the coming weeks,' said Eskom. Eskom Group CEO Dan Marokane hailed the return of the unit as a major milestone in the utility's broader strategy to stabilise energy supply. 'This achievement moves us closer to consistently overcoming load-shedding, which is now largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet, as we continue to build a more reliable, resilient, and sustainable power system,' said Marokane. He added that the success reflected steady progress in Eskom's Generation Operational Recovery Plan, which aims to improve long-term energy availability. Despite recent weeks of relief from rolling blackouts, Eskom reiterated that load-shedding could return if unplanned breakdowns climb above 13,000MW. According to its winter outlook published on May 5, no load-shedding is expected if breakdowns remain under the threshold. However, should unplanned outages reach 15,000MW, the country could face up to 21 days of stage 2 load-shedding during winter. Eskom Group Executive for Generation Bheki Nxumalo praised the teams involved in the repairs. 'Eskom applauds the Medupi team, support staff, and all execution partners for their dedication and professionalism, including the daunting task of safely transporting the 400-ton generator stator. Their achievement serves as a motivation for our teams as we advance our recovery efforts,' said Nxumalo. Medupi Power Station, located in Lephalale, Limpopo, is one of the world's largest dry-cooled, coal-fired plants. It uses advanced supercritical technology to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, particularly critical in water-scarce regions. The station is also built with environmental considerations, including low nitrogen oxide burners and infrastructure that allows for future installation of flue gas desulphurisation technology, which will cut sulphur dioxide emissions by over 90%. 'True to its name meaning 'rain that soaks parched lands, bringing economic relief' Medupi continues to play a vital role in supporting South Africa's economic growth and development,' said Eskom. Eskom said during its construction over R2.9bn was invested in socioeconomic development in local communities. 'Since its inception, more than R145m has been allocated to corporate social investment programmes, benefiting over 80,000 people, with a strong focus on rural development, education and health care infrastructure,' said Eskom.
The Citizen
07-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Medupi Unit 4's early return strengthens SA's energy security
Eskom has announced that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station has been successfully returned to service, adding 800MW to the national grid. This milestone strengthens South Africa's energy security and enhances the stability of electricity supply. 'The unit's return follows extensive repairs, completed eight months ahead of the original schedule, made possible by the innovative use of a refurbished generator stator, an alternative to waiting for a brand-new component. 'The unit had been out of service since August 8, 2021 after sustaining significant damage from the explosion of its generator stator, a key component in the operation of the generation unit,' said Eskom in a statement. As part of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan, Eskom's engineering teams implemented strategic measures to cost-effectively fast-track the unit's return. To avoid the costly delays associated with the lengthy delivery time of a new generator stator, Eskom sourced a used stator from the Netherlands as an interim solution, enabling the early return to service of Medupi Unit 4. With the return of Unit 4, all six units at Medupi are now operational and will contribute a combined capacity of 4 800MW to the national grid once the unit reaches full output in the coming weeks. Eskom group chief executive Dan Marokane said: 'The return of Medupi Unit 4 marks a major milestone in our strategic objective of achieving operational stability through the addition of 2 500MW to the grid, and Eskom remains committed to its Operational Excellence Programme, which focuses on restoring performance, strengthening oversight, and ensuring accountability from service providers.' He said the development once again reflected the progress of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan, which is central to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the broader economy. 'This achievement moves us closer to consistently overcoming load-shedding, which is now largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet, as we continue to build a more reliable, resilient and sustainable power system,' said Marokane. Eskom group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo said: 'Eskom applauds the Medupi team, support staff and all execution partners for their dedication and professionalism, including the daunting task of safely transporting the 400-tonne generator stator approximately 1 000km by road from Richards Bay to the power station, a feat accomplished by Eskom Rotek Industries. 'Their achievement serves as a motivation for our teams as we advance our recovery efforts. We are confident that, like the other units, Unit 4 will deliver stable electricity to the national grid, enhancing South Africa's energy security.' Medupi Power Station, located in Lephalale in Limpopo, holds the distinction of being one of the world's largest dry-cooled, coal-fired power plants. As one of the newest additions to Eskom's fleet, Medupi features advanced supercritical technology that allows it to operate at higher temperatures, improving efficiency while reducing both coal and water consumption, an essential advantage in a water-scarce region. The station is designed to recycle and reuse all water involved in the power generation process on-site. It is also equipped with low nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) burners to minimise NOₓ emissions. Additionally, Medupi has been designed to accommodate future installation of flue gas desulphurisation technology, which will cut sulphur dioxide (SO₂) emissions by more than 90%, further enhancing its environmental performance. Medupi continues to play a vital role in supporting South Africa's economic growth and development. During its construction, Eskom invested over R2.9b in socio-economic development initiatives aimed at addressing urgent needs within local communities. Since its inception, more than R145m has been allocated to corporate social investment programmes, benefiting over 80 000 people, with a strong focus on rural development, education and healthcare infrastructure. – Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
07-07-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Eskom boosts national grid with successful return of Medupi Unit 4
Eskom proudly announces the successful return of Medupi Unit 4, enhancing national electricity supply by 800MW. Image: Supplied Eskom has achieved a significant milestone in its ongoing efforts to stabilise South Africa's electricity supply, as the utility proudly announced that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station has been successfully returned to service. The Medupi Power Station, located in Lephalale in South Africa's Limpopo province, holds thedistinction of being one of the world's largest dry-cooled, coal-fired power plant The unit, which is now operational, adds an impressive 800MW to the national grid, further reinforcing the country's energy security. The return of Unit 4 follows extensive repairs and a strategic approach that allowed it to come back online a remarkable eight months ahead of the original schedule. This expedited process was made possible through the innovative use of a refurbished Generator Stator, which served as an alternative to waiting for a brand-new component, thereby avoiding costly delays. Unit 4 had been out of service since 8 August 2021, after suffering substantial damage from the explosion of its original Generator Stator. This critical failure prompted Eskom's engineering teams to formulate a Generation Operational Recovery Plan that focused on cost-effective and timely solutions. By sourcing a used stator from the Netherlands and implementing strategic measures, Eskom overcame the long delivery times associated with new parts and successfully fast-tracked the unit's return to operational capacity. With the reinstatement of Unit 4, all six units at the Medupi Power Station are now fully operational, poised to deliver a combined capacity of 4 800MW to the national grid as each unit reaches its full output in the coming weeks. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ According to Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane, this corrective measure is integral to their overarching goal of achieving operational stability and adding a total of 2 500MW to the grid. 'Today's developments once again reflect the progress of our Generation Operational Recovery Plan, which is central to ensuring the long-term sustainability of the broader economy. This achievement moves us closer to consistently overcoming loadshedding, which is now largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet,' he said. Eskom also extended its appreciation to the Medupi team, support staff, and all execution partners for their professionalism and commitment throughout this endeavour. In particular, the successful and safe transportation of the 400-tonne Generator Stator, spanning approximately 1 000km by road from Richards Bay to the power station, was a notable highlight, achieved through the dedicated efforts of Eskom Rotek Industries. Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom Group Executive for Generation, noted that the successful return of Unit 4 serves as a motivational achievement for their teams, reinforcing confidence in the reliability of Eskom's power supply moving forward. IOL
The South African
03-07-2025
- Business
- The South African
Eskom tightens security after prepaid token fraud
Eskom has announced decisive measures to tighten its digital and physical security following a breach in its Online Vending System (OVS), which was used to issue fraudulent prepaid electricity tokens. The power utility revealed the update on Wednesday, as it moves to restore public trust after the incident exposed significant flaws in its infrastructure. 'We are fully aware of the challenges that have emerged within the OVS environment,' said Eskom CEO Dan Marokane. 'We have taken clear steps to address them.' Last year, a forensic report uncovered how the system was manipulated to generate and distribute fake tokens. The breach raised alarm about both physical and cybersecurity weaknesses in Eskom's prepaid electricity platform. Marokane stressed that Eskom's response goes beyond a technical repair. 'Our focus is on restoring trust, strengthening our systems, and ensuring that our customers can rely on a secure and efficient service,' he said. 'This is not just a technical fix, it is part of a broader commitment to transparency, operational excellence and accountability.' Eskom has rolled out several internal controls to prevent future incidents. These include measures to restrict digital and physical access to key systems and reinforced infrastructure to better guard against tampering. The utility confirmed that some employees linked to the breach have been placed on precautionary suspension while investigations continue. Eskom is also working with law enforcement to pursue criminal charges where appropriate. '[We are] accelerating the acquisition of a new, secure vending system,' said Marokane. 'It's designed to replace the current OVS and prevent future incidents.' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
03-07-2025
- Business
- The Citizen
Eskom takes action after breach of online vending system
The system was exploited to generate and distribute fraudulent prepaid electricity tokens. Eskom says it has taken decisive action to strengthen its systems and restore public confidence following the disclosure in its full-year 2024 financial results, released in December 2024, of a forensic report detailing the breach of its Online Vending System (OVS). The power utility said the system was exploited to generate and distribute fraudulent prepaid electricity tokens, revealing critical vulnerabilities in both the physical and cybersecurity components of its prepaid electricity infrastructure. Forensic investigation Eskom launched a forensic investigation in December last year into an electricity theft racket involving the use of illicit tokens for prepaid meters that may have cost the company billions of rand in lost revenue. It also probed the security of its IT systems, including the involvement of some of its employees. Eskom spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said in response, the utility undertook a comprehensive review and intervention strategy aimed at mitigating these vulnerabilities and restoring system integrity. 'Eskom uncovered weaknesses in physical and cybersecurity components on its OVS system.' ALSO READ: Is Eskom winning the fight against corruption and theft? Progress Eskom's Group Chief Executive, Dan Marokane, said the utility has made significant progress in enhancing and protecting its infrastructure, ensuring greater resilience and reliability. 'We are fully aware of the challenges that have emerged within the OVS environment, and we have taken clear steps to address them. Our focus is on restoring trust, strengthening our systems, and ensuring that our customers can rely on a secure and efficient service. 'This is not just a technical fix, it is part of a broader commitment to transparency, operational excellence and accountability,' said Marokane. Vigilance Eskom stated that, while it continues its investigation in conjunction with law enforcement agencies, the findings will only be shared once the process is complete and the appropriate time for disclosure has been determined. The utility said it continues to investigate and strengthen its systems and governance, calling on stakeholders and its customers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity related to prepaid electricity tokens ALSO READ: Was Stage 6 load shedding revenge for tariff decision? Eskom CEO responds
