Medupi power station
Photo by: Duane Daws
Despite ongoing labour issues – the most recent being a strike by civils construction workers – State-owned power utility Eskom said on Wednesday that it had achieved some major milestones at its Medupi project.
The power utility confirmed that workers undertaking various civils-related operations at Medupi downed tools last week, as construction workers countrywide embarked on an industrial strike, but that the site remained operational, with all trades, besides civils, continuing work.
Eskom noted the successful positioning of the sixth and final unit’s generator stator, at Medupi, as well as lifting into place Unit 4’s air-cooled condenser condensate tank, during August.
The parastatal had also successfully completed one-hour test runs on the Unit 6 boiler mills, which are used to crush coal for the boiler, and a hydro test on the soot blower, which contributes to the safe and efficient operation of the boiler.
“Up to 116 000 t of coal is already on site in preparation for the first firing of the boiler for Unit 6 [and] the final Unit 6 turbine coupling installation is already in progress,” Eskom said in a statement.
The power utility added that the required coal stockpiles, ash stockpiles and all related equipment were close to commissioning.
The commissioning of the six 800 MW units is expected to start next year, with the first unit, or Unit 6, to begin production in the second half of 2014 and the subsequent five units to be introduced in intervals thereafter.