Eskom Says Unit 1 at Kusile Power Station Could Be Offline for Months Due to Failure, Cause of Damage Unknown

• Eskom says there was a failure at Unit 1 at Kusile power station and it's possibly going to be offline for months
• The energy company says they are investigating the cause of the failure and consulting with experts on the matter
• To safeguard the unit access to the damaged area has been limited as they determine what's needed to fix it

JOHANNESBURG - Eskom released a statement on Wednesday that there has been a flue gas duct failure at Kusile Unit 1, and estimated that the unit could remain offline for months.

The power utility said investigations are underway to determine the cause of the failure, the extent of the damage and how long it will take to repair.

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The damage is allegedly inside the flue's chimney and Eskom is engaging with various stakeholders, including the manufacturer of the equipment. Then the best course of action will be determined based on their findings.

Eskom further said that the exact timeframe of how long Unit 1 at Kusile will be offline will only be known after a few weeks.

The entry to the area around Unit 1 has been limited. Eskom gave an update on other units at Kusile and said:

"Unit 2 was off load at the time while unit 3 was generating electricity. Unit 4 whose FGD duct is housed on a separate flue chimney, is currently on load generating full load to the national grid."

Unit 2 has currently been stopped from running for precautionary measures, and Unit 3 is running at a stable load.

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Read the full press statement from Eskom's Twitter page below:

South Africans reacted to Eskom's statement and below are some of their comments.

@maxilee27 said:

"It's high time you remove that CEO. He will do anything to make sure IPPs are brought to the grid."

@leonlvermeulen asked:

"This is part if the scam you are running! Dodgy contracts and poor quality of work, and no oversight! So when will the others fail?"

@Thabo_Komana added:

"The incompetence of De Ruyter continues unabated."

@Vutlhari157 mentioned:

"Get to the point, we already see what's coming, no need to cut corners, tell us straight. Stage what?"

@nomadbikerherm stated:

"What you saying is, for the last 3 months of planned maintenance you have accomplished nothing. Not once since loadshedding was implemented have you reported anything positive. Loadshedding is your last/only resort because none of you have any idea what you’re actually doing."

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Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi says scrapping Soweto’s nearly R5bn Eskom debt will drive economic development

Briefly News recently reported that the Premier of Gauteng, Panyaza Lesufi, has called for the government to scrap nearly R5 billion owed to Eskom by the township of Soweto.

Lesufi's calls for debt forgiveness came after the government committed to settling Sanral's e-toll debt amounting to billions.

Source: Briefly News