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Eskom emphasised that these coal-fired stations are not positioned in opposition to the country’s renewable energy trajectory The Kusile power station is pioneering cleaner coal technology in Africa with the deployment of Flue Gas Desulfurisation (FGD), reducing emissions significantly and aligning with South Africa’s environmental goals. This, Eskom says, demonstrates their commitment to balancing energy security with sustainability. The power station is the first in South Africa and Africa to implement Wet Flue Gas Desulphurisation (WFGD) technology, ensuring compliance with air quality standards and aligning with global best practices to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions. Last month, the power utility announced the successful addition of Kusile Power Station’s final unit, Unit 6, to the national grid. Eskom added 800MW of new capacity to the grid for the first time with the addition of Kusile Power Station’s final unit to the national grid. They stated at the time that the Medupi Power Station is also on track to have all six units fully operational by May 2025. Kusile power station marks a crucial step toward completing one of SA’s largest infrastructure projects “This achievement marks a crucial step toward completing one of South Africa’s largest infrastructure projects and is a key milestone in Eskom’s strategic objective of adding 2,500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025,” the power utility said. Eskom said Kusile Power Station will contribute a total of 4,800MW to the national grid once all units are fully operational, making it South Africa’s largest energy infrastructure project. “Its sister project, Medupi, will see its Unit 4 return 800MW by the end of April 2025 from an extended outage following a generator stator failure and the completion of the project. “Both South Africa’s new build power station projects will then be essentially completed once Kusile Unit 6 is in commercial operation.” According to Eskom, the initial ‘cost-to-complete’ budget for Kusile in 2007 was R77.8bn (excluding Interest During Construction – IDC) but by 2009 this was revised to R101.3bn (excluding IDC). The utility said the initially approved amount was estimated based on a virtual power station scope, with itemised basic components and international benchmarking. Eskom stated that the revised approved amount in 2009 was based on a more detailed revised scope of work and market-related rates at the time. Below are the audited inception-to-date costs for both Kusile and Medupi as of the end of January 2025, with Medupi projected to come in under the approved cost-to-completion amount: Kusile and Medupi power stations represent a key investment in South Africa’s long-term energy stability Eskom called both power stations a critical investment in South Africa’s long-term energy stability and economic growth. Touching on challenges, the power utility said while it is true that these projects have faced considerable challenges – ranging from labour disruptions, underestimates, design issues and corruption issues – Eskom has been transparent about these difficulties. “We have taken active steps to address them through corrective measures and institutional learning that continue to inform our approach to complex infrastructure delivery. Importantly, the benefits of these stations are now becoming more evident. “With more than 300 consecutive days of no loadshedding in 2024/25, South Africa has experienced a meaningful reduction in the economic disruptions typically associated with power loadshedding. “Independent analyses have noted a corresponding improvement in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) performance—highlighting the positive role of improved electricity availability.” Eskom emphasised that these coal-fired stations are not positioned in opposition to the country’s renewable energy trajectory. Rather, they provide a stable foundation that enables the integration of variable renewable sources into the grid while maintaining reliability. “While we acknowledge the valid concerns raised in past reporting on Kusile and Medupi, we believe it is equally important to reflect on the progress made and the critical role these stations now play in securing South Africa’s energy future,” Eskom said. |
