EMALAHLENI – An additional 800 megawatts (MW) has been connected to the national grid in an effort to stabilise electricity supply and reduce power outages.
Eskom announced that the final unit, Unit 6, at Kusile Power Station near eMalahleni, was successfully added to the national grid on Sunday, March 23. The power utility said this milestone means that once all units are fully operational, Kusile will contribute 4 800 MW to the national grid. Eskom also plans to add a further 2 500 MW by March 2025.
Kusile Power Station is designed to integrate six generating units, each with a capacity of 800 MW. Construction of the coal-fired power plant began in August 2008. Units 1 and 2 were connected to the national grid in March and July 2017, with Unit 1 reaching full commercial operation in August 2017. Unit 3 was added in March 2019, followed by full commercial operation of Units 2 and 3 in October 2020 and March 2021, respectively. Unit 4 was synchronised to the grid in December 2021 and reached full commercial operation in June 2022. Unit 5 was connected to the grid in December 2023 and went into commercial operation in June 2024.
Meanwhile, its sister project, Medupi Power Station, is expected to see Unit 4 return 800 MW by April 2025 after an extended outage caused by a generator stator failure. Eskom stated that both new-build power stations will be essentially completed once Kusile Unit 6 is in commercial operation.
Eskom Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, said the power utility is at a critical stage in returning megawatts to the grid, given the country’s constrained energy situation.
“This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication and resilience of Eskom’s employees and contractors. Their commitment has driven us forward despite numerous challenges,” he said.
Nxumalo added that Eskom’s focus is now on ensuring that Unit 6 achieves commercial operation in the second half of 2025, further strengthening South Africa’s energy security.
