Kusile Unit 6 Goes Commercial – Strengthening South Africa’s Power Supply

Karen Scheepers
Oct 1
3 min read

South Africa has reached a major power milestone with Eskom’s announcement that Unit 6 of Kusile Power Station has achieved commercial operation. This development marks the completion of one of the country’s largest infrastructure projects, as Kusile and its sister coal plant Medupi are now fully online with a combined 9,600 MW of capacity . By adding approximately 800 MW from Unit 6, Eskom has significantly strengthened the national grid, which is expected to improve overall energy availability and reduce the risk of load shedding (rolling blackouts) across the country .

Completion of Kusile Power Station and New Capacity Added

The commissioning of Kusile Unit 6 on 29 September 2025 officially concludes Eskom’s “Build Programme” – a years-long effort to construct two new supercritical coal-fired power stations, Medupi and Kusile . Together, these stations now form the backbone of South Africa’s baseload electricity supply . Each Kusile unit is rated at about 800 MW, giving the station a total output of 4,800 MW.

Eskom’s Generation Group Executive Bheki Nxumalo lauded the achievement, noting that the added 800 MW “completes our twelve-unit megaprojects fleet” and that “we look forward to the added stability these megawatts will bring” .

Boosting the Grid and Improving Energy Security

Having Kusile Unit 6 online significantly bolsters South Africa’s generation capacity. Eskom reports that with all units running, Medupi + Kusile can deliver 9,600 MW at full capacity, “significantly strengthening South Africa’s electricity supply” .

In practical terms, this boost to baseload power increases the margin between electricity supply and demand, which improves grid stability. Since improvements at Eskom’s plants (including Kusile’s new unit) came online, the country has seen a dramatic reduction in load shedding in 2025. By late September, Eskom’s energy availability factor (EAF) climbed above 70%, the highest in four years .

Regional Impact

Because South Africa operates a unified national grid, the improved supply from Kusile Unit 6 will benefit all provinces. For high-demand provinces such as Gauteng and North West, this translates to:

Reduced Load Shedding: The additional 800 MW and higher overall EAF directly reduce the occurrence and severity of load shedding in these areas. Recent streaks of over 100 days without power cuts show the effect .
Improved Grid Stability: A stronger baseload supply means fewer emergency cuts and better voltage stability, particularly in Gauteng’s urban hubs and North West’s mining operations.
Economic Benefits: Reliable electricity keeps industries, mining, agriculture, and services running smoothly – reducing costly downtime and supporting job creation.
Service Delivery: With fewer national power shortages, municipalities can better manage local infrastructure, maintenance, and upgrades without compounding outages.

Kusile’s Clean Technology and Future Outlook

Kusile is also the first power station in Africa to implement wet flue gas desulphurisation (WFGD) technology, scrubbing harmful sulphur dioxide from emissions . Along with supercritical boiler design, this makes it more efficient and cleaner than older coal plants.

While Kusile strengthens coal-based baseload power, Eskom stresses that this is a stepping stone toward diversifying energy supply. The utility plans to accelerate the rollout of renewables, using Kusile’s stable generation as a platform to integrate more solar and wind power .

In Summary

The entry of Kusile Unit 6 into full commercial service is a major boost for South Africa’s electricity supply. By stabilising the grid, reducing load shedding, and introducing cleaner technology, the new capacity strengthens power delivery across the country. Provinces such as Gauteng and North West stand to benefit directly through fewer outages, stronger economic resilience, and more reliable service delivery.

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