Unit 4 at Medupi Power Station, which had been offline since August 8, 2021, was returned to service ahead of schedule.
Eskom has hammered another nail in the load shedding coffin, announcing that Unit 4 of the Medupi Power Station was successfully returned to service eight months ahead of its original schedule.
This has added 800MW to the national grid.
This milestone strengthens South Africa’s energy security and enhances the stability of the electricity supply.
Repairs
Medupi’s return follows extensive repairs, made possible by the innovative use of a refurbished Generator Stator, an alternative to waiting for a brand-new component.
The unit had been out of service since 8 August, 2021, after sustaining significant damage from the explosion of its Generator Stator, a key component in the operation of the generation unit.
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Back to work
Spokesperson Daphne Mokwena said that, as part of the utility’s Generation Operational Recovery Plan, Eskom’s engineering teams implemented strategic measures to cost-effectively fast-track the unit’s return.
“To avoid the costly delays associated with the lengthy delivery time of a new Generator Stator, Eskom sourced a used stator from the Netherlands as an interim solution, enabling the early return to service of Medupi Unit 4.
“With the return of Unit 4, all six units at Medupi are now operational and will contribute a combined capacity of 4 800MW to the national grid once the unit reaches full output in the coming weeks,” Mokwena said.
Milestone
Eskom Group Chief Executive Dan Marokane said the return of Medupi Unit 4 marks a major milestone in the parastatal’s strategic objective of achieving operational stability through the addition of 2 500MW to the grid.
“This achievement moves us closer to consistently overcoming load shedding, which is now largely behind us due to structural improvements in the generation fleet, as we continue to build a more reliable, resilient, and sustainable power system”.
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Explosion
Eskom has not disclosed the cause of the explosion at Medupi Power Station or the cost of the repairs.
While the explosion caused severe damage to the generator, seven employees were treated for shock, but no injuries or fatalities were reported.
The explosion occurred just before 11 pm on 7 August, while hydrogen was being displaced with carbon dioxide and air to locate an external leak.
This procedure of displacing hydrogen with carbon dioxide and air is called purging
What does Medupi mean
Medupi which means “rain that soaks parched lands, bringing economic relief” is located in Lephalale, Limpopo province.
The power station holds the distinction of being one of the world’s largest dry-cooled, coal-fired power plants.
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