Latest news with #GenerationOperationalRecoveryPlan
The Citizen
20 hours ago
- 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!
The Citizen
a day ago
- Business
- The Citizen
Eskom hammers another nail in load shedding coffin
Unit 4 at Medupi Power Station, which had been offline since August 8, 2021, was returned to service ahead of schedule. Eskom has hammered another nail in the load shedding coffin, announcing that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station was successfully returned to service eight months ahead of its original schedule. This has added 800MW to the national grid. This milestone strengthens South Africa's energy security and enhances the stability of the electricity supply. Repairs Medupi's return follows extensive repairs, 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 8 August, 2021, after sustaining significant damage from the explosion of its Generator Stator, a key component in the operation of the generation unit. ALSO READ: Eskom gets boost as Kusile's final unit adds 800MW to grid Back to work Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said that, as part of the utility's 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,' Mokwena said. Milestone Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the return of Medupi Unit 4 marks a major milestone in the parastatal's strategic objective of achieving operational stability through the addition of 2 500MW to the grid. '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'. ALSO READ: Koeberg Unit 2 back online, but what caused the 'unplanned' trip? Explosion Eskom has not disclosed the cause of the explosion at Medupi Power Station or the cost of the repairs. While the explosion caused severe damage to the generator, seven employees were treated for shock, but no injuries or fatalities were reported. The explosion occurred just before 11 pm on 7 August, while hydrogen was being displaced with carbon dioxide and air to locate an external leak. This procedure of displacing hydrogen with carbon dioxide and air is called purging What does Medupi mean Medupi which means 'rain that soaks parched lands, bringing economic relief' is located in Lephalale, Limpopo province. The power station holds the distinction of being one of the world's largest dry-cooled, coal-fired power plants. ALSO READ: Eskom takes action after breach of online vending system
IOL News
a day ago
- 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
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Eskom integrates Kusile's final unit, aiming for 2.5GW by 2025
Eskom has added the final 800MW unit of Kusile power station, Unit 6, to South Africa's national grid. The development represents a milestone in Eskom's strategy to add 2.5GW of new capacity by March 2025. Up to September 2025, Unit 6 will undergo testing and optimisation before being officially added to Eskom's generation fleet. Kusile's sister project, Medupi, is set to return 800MW from Unit 4 by April 2025 after an extended outage due to a generator stator failure. Once Kusile Unit 6 reaches commercial operation, both newbuild power station projects will be in commercial operation. Eskom Group CEO Dan Marokane stated: '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. 'We re-iterate our commitment to ensuring that South Africa is in no way returning to the levels of load-shedding that we experienced in 2023. Our focus remains on delivering a more reliable, resilient and sustainable power system for the country.' The Kusile power station will contribute 4.8GW when all units are in operation, making it South Africa's largest infrastructure project. The power plant is also the first in the country to implement wet flue gas desulphurisation technology to meet air quality standards. Eskom Group executive for generation Bheki Nxumalo stated: 'Eskom is at a critical point 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.' Eskom remains committed to its Generation Operational Recovery Plan, focusing on governance and sustainability to ensure energy security for South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa. In January 2025, Eskom connected the 930MW Unit 2 of the Koeberg nuclear power station to the national grid, advancing the plan. This connection follows a long-term operation programme to extend the unit's life by 20 years, following similar upgrades to Unit 1. "Eskom integrates Kusile's final unit, aiming for 2.5GW by 2025" was originally created and published by Power Technology, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site.
