By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Minister in the presidency responsible for electricity Kgosientsho Ramokgopa says the restoration of more units at Kusile power station would help mitigate load shedding.
Ramokgopa spoke about Kusile Power Station’s units and the crucial role they play in helping to keep the lights on across the country.
Speaking at his regular “energy action plan” briefing on Sunday in Pretoria, Ramokgopa said the return of Kusile Unit 3 to service on Saturday two months ahead of schedule, showed South Africa was “starting to turn the corner”.
Kusile’s units 1, 2, and 3 were idled almost a year ago due to safety concerns and licensing restrictions.
Ramokgopa said the shutdown resulted in a loss of about 2 400 megawatts (MW) from the national grid. This added considerable strain, particularly during the high-demand winter months.
He explained the journey back to operational status for these units would be complex.
Since a mix of waste and water, known as ‘slurry,’ had built up inside the chimneys, it threatened the structural integrity of the infrastructure.
Interim measures were developed to expedite the units’ return to service, pending legislative exemption approval due to the potential increase in sulphur emissions.
But you might be wondering why all of this took so long.
Eskom had to request an exemption for these interim measures, leading to a public comment period.
The environmental impact of these emissions – as well as the well-being of the communities surrounding the Kusile power station – were central to the exemption’s approval process.
With the green light given, mitigation measures for sulphur dioxide emissions were set in place, and the units are now slated for a 12-month interim operational period.
Ramokgopa said he was “really excited” about “turning the corner” in South Africa’s load shedding crisis.
He confirmed that Kusile Unit 3 is already up and running – ahead of schedule.
It is currently generating approximately 550 MW, with plans to ramp up to its full 800 MW capacity.
Units 1, 2, and 5 are also on track for re-commissioning in the coming months. This would maximise Kusile’s total output to 3 200 MW.
Eskom meanwhile says that load shedding will continue to be suspended until Monday evening (2 October) as a result of the sustained improved generation performance and the lower-than-anticipated demand.
Eskom said due to the return to service of Kusile 3, the sustained improved generation performance and the lower-than-anticipated demand for electricity, load shedding will be suspended until 16:00 on Monday.
This will then be followed by Stage 2 load shedding. Eskom noted that it will communicate should any significant changes occur.
For access to other load shedding schedules, Eskom has made them available on loadshedding.eskom.co.za.
Smartphone users can also download the app EskomSePush to receive push notifications when load shedding is implemented, as well as the times the area you are in will be off.