Eskom new build programme progressing well

Eskom, an energy provider to South Africa and Africa, generates approximately 95% of the electricity used in South Africa and approximately 45% of the electricity used in Africa.

The company has reported that its new build programme is progressing well, with the contribution of Medupi Unit 6 and the Sere wind facility boosting its capacity and creating the necessary space for maintenance.

Eskom is continuing with its capacity expansion – the largest in the company’s history – in order to decrease the pressure on the power system. This new build programme includes the construction of two coal-fired power plants, Medupi and Kusile, as well as a pumped storage scheme, Ingula.

The company will bring online all four units at Ingula in KwaZulu-Natal in 2017, with the first unit due for commercial operation in January 2017 and the last one in July 2017.

In Limpopo, Medupi power plant is expected to be completed in 2020. Medupi unit 5 is due for commercial operation in March 2018, unit 4 in July 2018, unit 3 in June 2019, unit 2 in December 2019, and unit 1 in May 2020.

Kusile is being built in the Mpumalanga Province and unit 1 is due for commercial operation in July 2018, unit 2 in July 2019, unit 3 in August 2020, unit 4 in March 2021, unit 5 in November 2021 and unit 6 in September 2022.

Eskom intends to provide continual updates on the status of the power system.

Edited from press release by Harleigh Hobbs

Read the article online at: https://www.worldcoal.com/power/23112015/eskom-new-build-programme-is-progressing-well-3192/