Kusile is equipped with wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) technology, the first power station in Africa to use such emissions abatement technology. (Photo: Supplied/Eskom)
Kusile power station’s troublesome Unit 5 has finally been officially added to the Eskom fleet after six months of rigorous testing and optimisation.
Though first synchronised to the national grid in December 2023, the unit’s power supply was intermittent as it was subject to six months of testing before it could be officially put into full-time commercial operation. The official transfer of Kusile Unit 5 from the new build programme to full-time operation in Eskom’s generation division means Kusile power station’s total output has now increased to 4 000MW, Eskom said in a statement on Sunday.
“Kusile Unit 5 makes an extremely valuable contribution to the national grid,” Isabel Fick, Eskom system operator general manager, said in the statement. “Not only is it one of the largest baseload units contributing megawatts, but it also enhances the stability of the network through its nature.”
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