Eskom brings another Kusile unit back online

Eskom says that it has brought another unit of the Kusile Power Station back on load, adding a further 800MW to the grid.

This follows the return of unit 3 at the end of September, leaving only unit 2 still to be added.

“The two units (1 and 3) are both adding 1,600MW back into the grid, improving the available generation capacity. This signifies that Eskom is on the right path to reducing and ultimately ending load shedding,” the utility said.

Unit 1 was brought back online one and a half months ahead of schedule.

Unit 3 was brought back two months earlier than planned. It was initially planned to be back online at the end of November 2023, with the remaining two units back up in December.

Eskom announced in August that it was progressing well with the Kusile returns and later confirmed that the planned dates for operation would be brought forward.

In October 2022, the Kusile West stack failed, causing three generating units (units 1,2 and 3) to be decommissioned.

Eskom’s short-term solution was to erect three temporary stacks that would not include Flue Gas Delsuphurisation (FGD) plants.

Eskom has been pinning a lot of hope on the units returning. Along with Unit 4, which was also recently synchronised and activated – getting Kusile online would add close to 3,000MW to the grid, giving the utility more room to balance load shedding and the increased planned maintenance.

During its system outlook for summer, Eskom noted that the return of the Kusile units was vital to avoiding the worst-case scenario for the next six months, which would see load shedding pushed to stage 6 for over 200 days, perhaps even moving past that level.

However, with more room to balance the grid, load shedding can be kept under stage 4, it said.

That said, this does not mean the end of load shedding by any means.

As the summer months approach and planned maintenance is ramped up, the grid will remain under severe strain. In addition to this, Unit 2 of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station will also be taken offline, negating the return of almost 1,000MW when Unit 1 is brought back.

The return of Kusile Unit 3 also does not come without a cost – it was only possible because Eskom was granted exemptions from meeting environmental standards. WIthout the proper structures in place, toxic sulphur is being pumped into the atmosphere, raising serious health concerns.

Further gains are expected to be made in the coming months, with Tutuka recoveries also expected to add megawatts to the grid – and the country should be on better footing heading into 2024.

Read: Load shedding is getting better – but it won’t end anytime soon