Johannesburg - The newly built Ingula power station in KwaZulu-Natal is expected to stabilise the country’s electricity supply.
It is the first of the massive new power stations being built to be finished ahead of schedule, but over budget.
Eskom spokesman Khulu Phasiwe told The Star that the addition to the national power grid should also ease the country’s troubled finances.
“Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan said recently, in order for the economy to grow, there needs to be a stable electricity supply and the new power plant will certainly help with this,” he said.
Ingula is being officially commercialised today, which means the power generated by all four of its units will be fed in to the national grid for sale. President Jacob Zuma is expected to attend today’s celebration.
The four units have already been synchronised to the grid, which means they have been tested and are up and running. Each unit can generate 333MW, with a total capacity of 1 332MW.
Phasiwe said the economic benefits of the station in Ladysmith would be profound.
He said a stable supply of electricity would result in a growing demand for lucrative commodities such as gold and coal.
“This economic growth will see more investment in the country,” he said, adding that the steady power supply would also mean local businesses would be able to operate at full capacity.
Ordinary citizens, particularly the disadvantaged who don’t have access to electricity, would also be profoundly affected by the new station. “Eskom and municipalities will be able to connect those who are without power,” said Phasiwe.
He said KZN, as well as the Eastern Cape and Limpopo, were the areas in the country with the most limited supply of electricity.