Smoke pours out of boiler
A motorist driving past Duvha Power Station earlier this week noticed a large amount of smoke pouring out of one of the boilers as it had exploded.
The incident happened on Sunday night, March 30 just before midnight. Eskom experienced an apparent over-pressurisation incident on boiler of Unit 3 at Duvha. After a boiler tube leak alarm went off, the boiler tripped on a high pressure alarm.
Upon inspection, damage was observed in the boiler and surrounding equipment. One person was treated for dust inhalation but no other injuries were reported.
The reason for the boiler over-pressurisation is being investigated. Eskom engineers weren’t on site on Monday, March 31 and have undertaken a preliminary assessment, while the boiler cools down enough for a full investigation to be undertaken. The results of this assessment and the implications of this incident will be reported once available.
The incident will add more pressure to an already tight system, however there is no immediate risk of load shedding at this time.
