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Power utility Eskom has reported serious damage to the Kusile Power Station after a “flue gas duct,” failed last month.
Spokesperson, Sikonathi Mantshantsha, said the incident happened at Kusile Unit 1 on 23 October whilst the Unit was on forced shutdown for repairs.
He described the flue gas duct as "the equivalent of a chimney in a household."
“Investigations and assessments are in progress to establish the cause of the failure and to ascertain the extent of the damage, as well as the recovery scope of work,” Mantshantsha said.
He said while it is uncertain at this point, it is anticipated the unit may remain offline for a few months, and this duration shall become clearer over the next few weeks.
“Access to the area has also been restricted as part of precautionary measures.”
"Consultations with various specialist stakeholders, including the Original Equipment Manufacturer, are in progress to determine the best course of action to restore the plant as quickly as possible. The failed section of the Unit 1 flue gas duct is located inside the flue chimney,” Mantshantsha said.
He said Kusile 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. As part of precautionary measures put in place, the return to service of Unit 2 has been put on hold while Unit 3 continues to run at stable load.”
