All systems go for Eskom's Medupi Unit 6

Sunday, August 30, 2015

Pretoria - President Jacob Zuma and Eskom CEO Brian Molefe will today officially open Medupi Unit 6 in Lephalale, Limpopo.

The Medupi Power Station Unit 6 project is a green-fields coal-fired power plant comprising six units rated in total at 4 800MW installed capacity.

Govenrment says the commercial operation of Unit 6 is a critical milestone in efforts to build new generating capacity in the country.

Since its first synchronisation to the national grid on March 2, 2015, Unit 6 has been supplying electricity to the national grid intermittently, while undergoing regular optimisation tests.

The power station is contributing 800MW of power into the national grid.

This has alleviated pressure on the national electricity system, helping to either avoid load shedding altogether or minimise its severity.

The construction of the Medupi Power Station started in May 2007.

Once completed, it will be the fourth largest coal-fired plant and the largest dry-cooled power station in the world. The planned operational life of the power station is 50 years. – SAnews.gov.za