South Africa looks to relieve power shortages as new coal plant prepares for operations

Eskom said all that remained before allowing steam to the plant’s turbine is to clean the boiler and associated pipework from all scale, welding residue and contaminants arising from the construction process.

Medupi, near Lephalale in Limpopo, is the first power station that Eskom has built in 20 years. The first of the plant’s six generating units, which each have an electricity generating capacity of 794 megawatts (MW), had been scheduled to be connected to the grid on 24 December 2014.

The plant is part of 300 billion rand ($26bn) capacity expansion programme aimed at ensuring future security of electricity supply. “Once complete, Medupi will be the fourth-largest coal power station in the southern hemisphere and the largest dry-cooled power station in the world,” Eskom has said.

Medupi is needed to help combat severe power shortages that have hit South Africa over the past year. Following a cabinet meeting on 11 December, the government said it remained “concerned over the disruptive effect the recent power outages are having on the daily lives of South Africans and its impact on households and businesses across the country”.

“The lack of sufficient capacity to meet the country’s energy needs remains a challenge and all attempts are being made to ensure that we overcome the tight energy situation,” the government said.

According to the government, five million additional homes were connected to the grid from 1994 “and this increased to 12 million households in 2004... without additional power stations being built”.

Eskom signed a memorandum of understanding with the country’s Strategic Fuel Fund and Transnet Ports Authority last December “so that the country can be assured of a regular supply of diesel”, the government said.

Additionally, the government said there are “significant opportunities for the importation of gas” and a new coal independent power producer programme will be launched by the end of this month with a generation capacity goal of 2,500 MW.

Up to 95% of South Africa’s electricity is currently generated by coal-fired power stations and the country is among the world’s top 25 producers of greenhouse gases, according to government figures.

As of November 2013, South Africa was rated as the 12th most attractive investment destination for renewable energy, according to the government, which has approved an additional 17 renewable energy projects since 2013.

These projects are designed to pave the way for a further $3.3bn worth of investment – that will add up to 1,470 MW of generating capacity to the national grid. Eskom will buy power from the new plants, once operational, in terms of power purchase agreements signed with the producers and backed by the government.

The French Development Agency has also agreed to lend Eskom around $140 million to help finance a 100 MW concentrating solar power plant near Upington in the Northern Cape.