Eskom’s Kusile Power Station Unit 6 Achieves Commercial Operation Amid Controversy

Eskom has announced that Kusile Power Station’s Unit 6 has officially entered commercial operation, adding approximately 800MW of generating capacity to South Africa’s power grid. This milestone marks the completion of construction for the Kusile and Medupi power stations, two “supercritical” coal-fired plants that have faced years of controversy and delays.

The announcement marks the end of the protracted build process for both facilities, which Eskom says now serve as the backbone of South Africa’s baseload electricity supply. “With Unit 6 now online, Kusile and Medupi together can deliver a combined 9,600MW of power when operating at full capacity, significantly bolstering South Africa’s electricity supply,” Eskom said in a statement.

Eskom explained that the commercial operation of Unit 6 means the unit has completed all necessary testing and optimisation phases, and is now fully integrated into its operational fleet. The unit had been supplying electricity to the grid since it synchronised with the system on March 23, 2025. However, its contribution to the grid was not reflected in official reports until now.

From this point, the unit’s output will be incorporated into Eskom’s Energy Availability Factor (EAF) calculations, which are used to assess the utility’s overall performance metrics. Eskom also highlighted that the operational success of Unit 6 is a crucial part of its strategic goal to add 2,500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025.

“This achievement represents a significant step in completing one of South Africa’s largest infrastructure projects,” Eskom said.

Bheki Nxumalo, Eskom’s Group Executive for Generation, hailed the completion of Unit 6, noting that it adds 800MW to the national grid and marks the successful delivery of Eskom’s 12-unit Megaprojects fleet. Despite the numerous challenges faced during the project’s long development, Nxumalo emphasised the resilience and dedication of the team that saw the unit through to completion.

Eskom CEO Dan Marokane framed the achievement as a success in executing the utility’s Generation Operational Recovery Plan. “Achieving commercial operation of Unit 6 within the planned timeframe is a testament to Eskom’s ability to deliver on its recovery plan,” Marokane said. He added that the unit had met performance benchmarks since synchronisation and had contributed to grid reliability, helping meet electricity demand 97% of the time.

Marokane also noted that both Medupi and Kusile are designed to have operational lifespans of about 50 years, meaning that these plants will be integral to South Africa’s energy infrastructure for decades to come.

Despite Eskom’s positive narrative, the claim that Kusile Unit 6 was completed “within the planned timeframe” has drawn skepticism. Originally planned for completion in 2014, the Kusile project has been plagued by delays, mismanagement, and cost overruns that have stretched the timeline by over a decade. Energy policy and investment specialist Anton Eberhard called the achievement “difficult to celebrate” due to the project’s history of delays and corruption.

“It is hard to celebrate the final unit of Eskom’s Kusile mega coal power station coming online now, 17 years after the final investment decision was made in 2008,” Eberhard said. He also pointed out that the project was marred by corruption within Eskom, which contributed to the utility’s massive debt burden and necessitated several government bailouts.

Energy expert Chris Yelland echoed these concerns, calling Kusile’s construction the “most expensive coal-fired power station in mankind’s history.” He pointed to the project’s cost overruns, ballooning capitalised interest, and the economic strain caused by ongoing load-shedding during the lengthy construction phase.

The Kusile project began in 2008 with an initial budget of R31.5 billion, which was allocated under the Bravo Project to construct a coal-fired power station. The boiler contract was awarded to Hitachi Power Africa for R18.5 billion, while the turbine works were given to Alstom S&E for R13 billion. Construction started in August 2008, just as South Africa was experiencing the first major wave of load-shedding.

However, the project quickly encountered problems, including inefficiencies in project management, labour disputes, vandalism, and widespread corruption. By 2017, after nearly a decade of construction, only Unit 1 had achieved commercial power generation. The delays resulted in the final cost of the project ballooning far beyond the initial budget, with Eskom’s debt continuing to grow as a result.

Despite these challenges, the completion of Unit 6 signals that the Kusile project is now fully operational. The plant’s inclusion in the national grid is expected to offer some relief to the country’s energy supply challenges, even as questions about the long-term viability of coal power in a world increasingly focused on renewable energy remain.

As South Africa faces a growing energy crisis, Eskom’s efforts to complete Kusile and Medupi are seen by many as a necessary but controversial step in the country’s energy mix. While these coal-fired plants offer immediate capacity to the grid, they come at a high financial and environmental cost. As the nation transitions towards cleaner, renewable energy sources, the role of these mega coal plants will likely continue to be a subject of debate in the coming years.

Nevertheless, Eskom’s latest milestone represents a significant, albeit contentious, achievement in South Africa’s energy history, as the utility strives to stabilise the country’s electricity supply while navigating the complexities of a transitioning energy landscape.

Main Image: IOL