Kusile Power Station is designed to consist of six 800 megawatt coal-fired generating units for a total generating capacity of 4,800 megawatts. This station would be the first in Eskom's fleet with flue gas desulphurization technology.
Project Engineer
was appointed as the project engineer for construction.
The power utility, Eskom stated that it "will obtain most of the coal required for this Power Station from Anglo Coal's New Largo operations, south east of the Kusile Power Station." Eskom’s consultants estimate that 35 new coal mines will be required to support the Medupi and Kusile plants.
Construction timeline
Initially expected to take 6 years to complete, the project was not expected to complete Unit 1 until 2017 and the entire project not until 2021.
October 2014: 300 ton 910 MVA Generator Step-up Transformer placed on its foundation, assembled with all its Auxiliary systems and filled with 128 000 Litres of Mineral Oil. All Electrical integrity tests were performed successfully to confirm that the transformer was ready to receive power.
10 March 2017: Unit 1 achieves commercial power.
7 July 2017: Unit 2 was synchronised to the national grid.
16 March 2019: Unit 3 was synchronised to the national grid.
Delays and defects
The dates for full commercial operation were shifted numerous times mostly due to:
Labour disputes:
* May 2011: Eleven contractor vehicles, seven offices, two large mobile cranes, and the west wing of the KCW office block were set alight, vehicles stoned, and offices and stores looted.
* February 2014: 1400 employees reported absent.
* 10 August 2018: A fire breaks out at the station amidst tensions with unions over pay increases causing damage.
Technical issues such as:
* Boiler design: high temperatures that the spray water-cooling system could not cope with
* Fabric filter plant: excessive wear of bags, resulting in blockages
* Coal mills: not meeting operational requirements, therefore requiring a doubling of servicing
This resulted in Kusile and Medupi considered as some of the worst-performing units in Eskom's fleet. In February 2019, Eskom GM for group technology Titus Mathe reported R8 billon would be needed to fix design defects at Medupi and Kusile.
Critics
The building of this power station attracted various criticisms.
Interference
Hitachi Power Africa, a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd.,found by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to have made US$6 million in corrupt payments to a front company for the African National Congress, the ruling political party in South Africa. Hitachi agreed to pay US$19 million to settle charges. Hitachi Power Africa rebranded as Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa in February 2014.
Cost
Kusile Power Station is estimated to cost R118 billion to complete.
Financial Institution Support
The following institutions were involved in supporting the project:
Emissions
The plant is expected to emit est 36.8 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent per year once completed. A 2011 report by Greenpeace Africa and the University of Pretoria’s Business Enterprises calculated Kusile's climate change to water use, and impact on health,estimating that the damage caused will cost between R31.2 billion and R60.6 billion a year, and that 30% of Kusile’s externality cost would have been able to generate five times the power with renewable energy. In November 2011, Greenpeace activists chained themselves to a gate and climbed a crane, a few weeks before the country hosted a global conference on climate change. Authorities arrested nine people, on charges of trespassing and malicious damage to property. The design of the station does allow for the installation of flue gas desulphurization technology.
Inquiry
By 2018, the governments Public Enterprises Minister Pravin Gordhan announced a forensic probe into delays and cost overruns on the completion of Kusile and Medupi Power Stations.
Corruption controversy
In November 2019 South African investigative journalistPieter-Louis Myburgh published an article in the Daily Maverick detailing an alleged slush fund corruption scandal involving Eskom executives and at least four contractors. The scandal involved contracts worth a combined R10 billion resulting in an estimated R75 million being lost due to irregular activities. By the time of the publication of Myburgh's article the construction of Kusile was five years past its original completion date and an estimated R80 billion over budget.
