End of Komati operating life won’t impact on load shedding, says Eskom
The Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga has reached its end of operating life.
The coal-powered power station contributed 121 MW of electricity to the national grid.
Spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha says that shutting down the plant will not have a significant impact on the national electricity grid.
"After serving South Africa since 1961, the coal-fired Komati Power Station in Mpumalanga has today reached the end of its operating life and has been shut down since midday.
"Unit 9 was commissioned in March 1966, the last of nine units that were built. Other units were shut down over the years as they reached the end of their operating life, a legislated requirement."
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As part of Eskom's Just Energy Transition strategy, the power plant will now be converted into a renewable generation site.
It will consist of 150 MW of solar, 70MW of wind and 150MW of storage batteries.
"This will continue to put the site and its associated transmission infrastructure into good use and to provide economic opportunities to the community. A containerised micro-grid assembly factory has already been established on site," adds Mantshantsha.
