South Africa’s electricity utility Eskom has connected the first power-generating unit of the new Kusile coal-fired power station, in Mpumalanga; reaching the milestone ahead of schedule and adding 800 MW to further stabilise the energy grid.

In a statement Tuesday, Eskom said it is making headway with its build-out of excess generating capacity to ensure power supply for Africa’s most industrialised nation.

“Our build programme is now delivering ahead of our re-baseline schedule, our operations have stabilised and as a result, we are in a position of surplus capacity. I therefore invite business to invest in the economy because the availability of electricity is no longer a constraint to the growth of the economy,” stated Eskom’s interim group CEO Matshela Koko.

Kusile is the second of two massive new coal-fired power stations to be built in response to a national electricity shortage between 2007 and 2015, as supply fell behind demand and threatened to destabilise the national grid. During this period, Eskom was forced to introduce periods of load shedding to manage loads, which dented the country’s economic growth.

When complete, the Kusile plant will have six 800 MW units for total generating capacity of 4 800 MW.

Expanding Capacity
Eskom’s new-build programme has also added 1 332 MW from all four units of the Ingula pumped storage scheme, as well as the synchronisation of 4 800-MW-Medupi plant’s Unit 5, in Limpopo.

The utility explained that its excess capacity has enabled it to raise its electrification target to more than 200 000 households by end of March 2017, against the target of 169 722 set for it by the Department of Energy.

In parallel with South Africa’s first new power stations built in decades are starting to feed energy to the grid, Eskom advised that it has also increased its electricity exports to neighbouring states, many of whom have had their hydro schemes impacted by drought. Eskom’s electricity sales to Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe rose 31.6% in the six months to September 30.