Grootvlei Power Station is a coal-fired power station located in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
| Grootvlei Power Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Location | Grootvlei, Mpumalanga |
| Coordinates | 26°46′S 28°30′E / 26.767°S 28.500°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1969 |
| Owner | Eskom |
| Operator | |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Turbine technology | |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 2 |
| Units planned | 6 × 200 MW |
| Nameplate capacity | 1,200 Megawatt[1] |
History
editThe 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
editThe station consists of six 200 megawatts (270,000 hp) units for a total installed capacity of 1,200 megawatts (1,600,000 hp). The design efficiency at the rated Turbine Maximum Continuous Rating is 32.90%.
Crime
editIn 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
edit
References
edit- ^ "Grootvlei Power Station". Eskom. Archived from the original on 25 August 2010. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ "National Response To South Africa's Electricity Shortage". Government of South Africa. January 2008. p. 9. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 9 January 2010.
- ^ "Eskom Confirms Powerstation Fire". MyBroadband. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
- ^ Evans, Julia (4 January 2023). "A country 'ungovernable' — how Eskom plans to tackle the scourge of sabotage, fraud and corruption in 2023". Defend Truth. www.dailymaverick.co.za. Daily Maverick. Retrieved 6 January 2023.
External links
edit- Grootvlei Power Station Archived 2021-05-13 at the Wayback Machine on the Eskom-Website