Pretoria - Eskom’s Kusile power station is expected to deliver first power by December 2014.
“The first unit is planned to go online in December 2014. Kusile will be the first power station in South Africa to have flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) installed,” said Eskom on Wednesday.
FGD is a state-of-the-art technology used to remove oxides of sulphur, such as sulphur dioxide, from exhaust flue gases in power plants that burn coal.
Located in Mpumalanga, construction of the coal-fired plant is expected to be fully completed in 2018. The station will consist of six units each, rated at approximately 800 MW installed capacity, giving a total of 4 800 MW.
Additionally, the Medupi power station, which is located to the west of Lephalale in Limpopo, is on track to deliver first power in the second half of next year.
“The first unit should be commissioned by the second half of 2014,” said the utility.
In July, Eskom announced delays at the coal-fired plant. The first unit of the plant was supposed to start generating first power in December 2013.
Earlier this month, the plant surpassed 4.5 million man hours without injury. - SAnews.gov.za
