Another day, another power station in trouble. Eskom has confirmed that unit 1 of Kusile power station is offline. While unit 1 was already offline and scheduled for repairs, a critical failure caused the unit to be deemed unusable for months. That’s right. Months.
Unit 1’s ‘chimney’ or flue gas duct, responsible for dispelling the sulphur dioxide, “failed on the horizontal rubber expansion joint as well as the compensator whilst the unit was on forced shutdown for Flue Gas De-sulphuration recirculating pump repairs.”
Bye bye, Kusile
Duct (chimney) failure shuts Unit 1 of Kusile Power Station pic.twitter.com/rOd614tOR9
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) November 2, 2022
Eskom can’t be sure just how bad the damage is at this stage. It has launched investigations into the failure, seeking to determine the “recovery scope of work.” The current timeline is that the unit will be offline for the coming months. Eskom will provide an update once it has a clearer idea of the damage done and how long the fix will take.
This failure has hindered both units 2 and 3’s ability to generate power. Unit 1’s damaged flue is housed under a windshield that also houses both units 2 and 3’s flues. The good news? Unit 4’s duct is separate from its brethren, allowing it to keep on generating power at full load. While repairs take place, unit 3 can only supply power at a stable load.
Unit 2 will remain offline as a precautionary measure for the time being. Eskom stated that its return to generating power had been put “on hold”. Eskom failed to provide more information or a timeline on the matter.
Read More: Eskom to transform decommissioned power station into solar and wind farm
Power to the people (in 2024)
As a reader with no prior knowledge of Kusile power station, we wouldn’t blame you for thinking that it only houses four generating units in total. Well, no. Unit 5 went offline in September this year and is only expected to return to power in December of – get this – 2024.
A sixth unit is on the way, though its generating capacity will be available starting in May 2024. At this point, the power station will be officially “complete” – around ten years after its initial expected completion date.