Grootvlei Power Station Explained

Grootvlei Power Station
Country:South Africa
Location:Grootvlei, Mpumalanga
Coordinates:-26.7667°N 58°W
Owner:Eskom
Th Fuel Primary:Coal
Ps Units Operational:2
Ps Electrical Capacity:1,200 Megawatt[1]
Commissioned:1969

Grootvlei Power Station is a coal-fired power station located in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

History

The first of Grootvlei's six units was commissioned in 1969. In 1989 three units were mothballed and in 1990 the other three followed. Due to the power crisis being experienced in South Africa, Eskom decided to return the station to service. By 2008 three of Grootvlei's units were back online, providing 585MW to the national grid.[2]

Grootvlei's units 5 and 6 were the first test facilities for dry cooling in South Africa. Unit 6 has an indirect dry cooling system.

On 22 July 2022, Unit 2 suffered a fire caused by a leaking fuel oil supply/return pipeline.[3]

Power generation

The station consists of six units for a total installed capacity of . The design efficiency at the rated Turbine Maximum Continuous Rating is 32.90%.

Crime

In mid-December 2022, at the request of the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, and President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Defence Thandi Modise deployed a small contingent of SANDF troops at the station (besides at Camden, Majuba and Tutuka) to curb growing threats of sabotage, theft, vandalism, and corruption.[4]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Grootvlei Power Station. Eskom. 9 January 2010. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20100825083116/http://www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=168. 25 August 2010.
  2. Web site: National Response To South Africa’s Electricity Shortage. January 2008. Government of South Africa. 9. 9 January 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110604112804/http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=7783. 4 June 2011. dead.
  3. Web site: Eskom Confirms Powerstation Fire . 24 July 2023 . MyBroadband.
  4. News: Evans . Julia . A country ‘ungovernable’ — how Eskom plans to tackle the scourge of sabotage, fraud and corruption in 2023 . 6 January 2023 . Defend Truth . Daily Maverick . www.dailymaverick.co.za . 4 January 2023.