Kusile power station will be one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world once finished
The Kusile Power Station Project, currently in construction phase is in close proximity to the existing Kendal Power Station in the Nkangala District of the Mpumalanga Province.
The station will consist of six units each rated at approximately 800 MW installed capacity giving a total of 4 800 MW. As such it will be one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world, once finished. The first unit is planned to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.
Kusile will be the first power station in South Africa to have flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) installed. This is a state-of-the-art technology, used to remove oxides of sulphur, such as sulphur dioxide, from exhaust flue gases in power plants that burn coal.
The project has so far created 17 000 direct jobs in the construction of the power station it will also create;
*Approximately 4500 temporary jobs during the development of the mines required to supply the power station with coal
*Approximately 250 full-time jobs in the mining sector when coal supply starts
*Approximately 77 800 indirect jobs in the associated industries
*600 full time jobs once Kusile is fully operational.
Over the last five years, the Kusile Power Station project has provided 566 bursaries to underprivileged, local school-leavers. It must be added that this is in addition to the 10 000 bursaries that Eskom provides annually on a national basis.
