Remember that time Kusile Power Station failed so terribly that much of its generation capacity was out for months? We sure do. Because it was never fixed. Eskom managed to right its wrongs somewhat in June 2023 when it sought permission from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries, and the Environment to bypass the country’s Minimum Emission Standards (MES) policy.
Now, however, Eskom has published an update to the Kusile repairs, noting that its temporary measure — allowing it to “operate units 1, 2, and 3 [at Kusile] without utilising the Flue Gas Desulphurisation (FGD) plant,” until 31 March 2025 has so far been successful, and that repairs to the permanent flue gas duct stack that started all this hassle are still on track. Whew.
Finally, some good Kusile news
That’s big news, because, according to Eskom, “the recovery of these units represents a significant milestone in the Generation Operational Plan, contributing a much-needed 2,400MW to the national grid.”
To bypass the MES policy, Eskom was (and still is) forced to make a few arrangements, thanks to the Department’s National Air Quality Officer. For one, it is required to warn the residents surrounding Kusile of the potential health risks involved in living where they do. And two, the obvious, was for Eskom to lessen the impact of its CO2 emissions — something usually handled by the damaged flue gas duct stack.
Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation, Bheki Nxumalo, reckons the utility has so far adhered to all the requirements, noting that emissions from the three damaged units at Kusile remain below the atmospheric emission license and ambient air quality limits set out by the Department.
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“We have implemented robust health screening initiatives within the surrounding areas and have installed additional ambient quality monitoring equipment to specifically monitor SO2 emissions. This ensures that we safely and responsibly operate Kusile while minimizing any potential impact on public health. We remain committed to Zero Harm, which is one of our core business values. We also remain dedicated to achieving a sustainable energy supply for the country,” Nxumalo said.
“The health and safety of our employees, contractors and neighbouring communities remains Eskom’s top priority. We will continue taking proactive measures to manage and mitigate any potential risks,” concluded Nxumalo.
Eskom signed off the update with a reminder that it was “on track” to complete the repairs to Kusile’s generating units by December 2024.