Eskom unit five of the Medupi Power Station which tripped during the explosion of unit four on Sunday evening will be switched on on Wednesday evening. According to estimates by energy experts, work to replace the unit might run into over R20 billion over a period of two years.
The explosion occurred when technicians were fixing a leakage. Unit 4 was badly damaged and may not be returned to service any time soon. Six staffers have been suspended amid a probe into the maintenance work.
Eskom spokesperson Sikonathi Mantshantsha explains:
“Unit five power station is returning to service this evening (Wednesday). The investigations into the cause of the explosion of unit four at Medupi power station, to determine the cost the extent of the damage and indeed the duration of the outage and indeed the duration of the outage and how much will cost will commence shortly.”
Medupi Power station explosion worrisome for Lephalale residents and surrounding
Meanwhile, load reduction is underway until 10 pm. The affected provinces are Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Free State, and the Eastern Cape.
Eskom Load Reduction Notice
Date: 11 August 2021#EskomEasternCape #EskomFreeState #EskomGauteng #EskomKZN
Please see below the provincial statements for details and areas that will be affected today during the hours of 17:00 until 22:00. pic.twitter.com/vcx4rLfj2H
— Eskom Hld SOC Ltd (@Eskom_SA) August 11, 2021
