General Electric (GE) has announced completion of tests for performance of Unit 1 of the Wet Flue Gas Desulphurisation Plant (WFGD) at South African electricity public utility company Eskom’s Kusile plant, located in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa
According to GE, Kusile’s WFGD plant has achieved 93 per cent removal efficiency rate during the performance test and is expected to be the cleanest coal-fired power plant in South Africa.
GE provides engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) of six turbine islands, air-cooled condensers and WFGD. After completion, Kusile power plant will deliver 800MW each for a total of 4,800MW, which is expected to meet electricity needs of 3.5mn households in South Africa.
Phakamani Hadebe, acting chief executive of Eskom, explained that the flue-gas desulphurisation technology aims to remove oxides of Sulphur, such as Sulphur dioxide, from exhaust flue gases in power plants that burn coal or oil. “This technology is fitted as an atmospheric emission abatement technology, in line with current international practice, to ensure compliance with air-quality standards, especially since the power station is in a priority air shed area,” Hadebe added.
Addressing the impact of the power plant to the environment, GE assured that the WFGD system at Kusile uses advanced environmental control technology that helps in reducing SO2 emissions, thus guarantying cleaner air in the Mpumalanga area.
South Africa is showing a growing demand for clean and accessible energy for its citizens. The South African government is initiating new agreements with international power players in a public-private partnership (PPP) basis to produce energy and ensure a smooth power supply to its citizens. The aim is to achieve sustainable development goals in South Africa in terms of improving the standard of life, new business opportunities as well as developing the country’s economy.
As coal is one of the crucial parts of the energy mix, the WFGD system focuses on ensuring the fact that Kusile coal power plant will comply with the most stringent international standards and protect the communities around it while responding to growing energy demands across South Africa and the Sub-Saharan African region, said GE.
