Eskom’s Kusile Power Station has been marred by controversy.
Eskom has announced that Unit 6 at Kusile Power Station has officially entered commercial operation, adding about 800MW of generating capacity to the grid.
The milestone marks the completion of South Africa’s two “supercritical” coal-fired power stations—Medupi and Kusile.
According to Eskom, these stations, together, form the backbone of the country’s baseload electricity supply.
“With Unit 6 now online, Kusile and Medupi can deliver a combined 9 600MW when operating at full capacity, significantly strengthening South Africa’s electricity supply.”
Testing
The parastatal explained that commercial operation indicates that the unit has passed all required testing and optimisation phases and is now fully integrated into Eskom’s operational fleet.
“Although the unit has been supplying electricity to the grid since its synchronisation on 23 March 2025, its contribution had not been reflected in official reporting until now.
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“From this point onward, Unit 6’s output will be included in the Energy Availability Factor (EAF) calculations, contributing to Eskom’s overall performance metrics,” Eskom said.
Milestone
Eskom added that the achievement also marks a key milestone in the utility’s strategic goal to add 2 500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025.
“It represents a major step in completing one of the largest infrastructure projects in South Africa’s history.”
Eskom group executive for generation, Bheki Nxumalo, said the commissioning adds 800MW to the grid and completes the utility’s 12-unit Megaprojects fleet.
“Despite the many challenges along the way, the successful handover of Unit 6 reflects the team’s resilience and dedication. We look forward to the added stability these megawatts will bring.”
Timeframe
Eskom CEO Dan Marokane said achieving commercial operation of Unit 6 within the planned timeframe is a testament to Eskom’s disciplined execution of the Generation Operational Recovery Plan.
“This milestone not only completes the Kusile build programme but also reinforces Eskom’s commitment to restoring energy security, enhancing grid stability, and investing in infrastructure that supports South Africa’s long-term economic growth.”
Delays
However, this was questioned by energy policy and investment specialist Anton Eberhard in a post on X.
“Hooray! 17 years after the final investment decision in 2008 to build the mega coal power station Kusile, South Africa’s national utility Eskom has finally commissioned the last unit.
“Delays resulted in power shortages and cuts that crippled the economy. The project was also three times over budget, and Eskom’s average electricity sales price has increased from 19c/kWh in 2007/8 to 195c/kWh in 2014/15.”
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Performance
Marokane said since its synchronisation in March, Unit 6 has consistently met performance benchmarks, contributed to grid reliability, and helped meet electricity demand 97% of the time,” said Marokane.
Marokane said Medupi and Kusile are designed for an operational lifespan of approximately 50 years.
Controversy
Eskom’s Kusile Power Station has been marred by controversy.
In March, Eskom graft-accused Michael Lomas was granted R2 million bail in a matter involving the defrauding of the utility of millions of rands.
Lomas was extradited to South Africa from the United Kingdom in September 2024, in connection with the upgrade of Eskom’s Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017.
British police arrested him in April 2021 at the request of the South African authorities and was subsequently granted bail of £100 000 (R1.7 million at the time).
Corruption
Lomas and 11 others, including Eskom’s senior executives and Tubular Construction Projects directors, are facing 65 counts of corruption linked to the R1.4 billion that was meant for the upgrade of Eskom’s Kusile Power Station in Mpumalanga between 2014 and 2017.
His co-accused are Abram Masango, a former executive in Eskom’s group capital division; France Hlakudi, a former senior manager in the division; Antonio José Trindade, the owner of Tubular Construction Projects; and Hudson Kgomoeswana, the owner of Babinatlou Business Services.
Charges
Seven companies have been charged in the case, which has been postponed multiple times since first coming to court in December 2019.
The state alleges that Eskom paid R745 million to Tubular Construction Projects after Masango and Hlakudi fraudulently advocated for the company to receive a contract to build air-cooled condensers at Kusile.
This led to additional costs for Eskom, escalating the contract’s total to R1.4 billion.
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