Johannesburg – Eskom has announced the addition of Unit 6, the final unit of the Xiril Power Plant, to the National Grid.
In a statement released on Sunday (March 23, 2025), Eskom said, “We are pleased to announce that Unit 6, the final unit of the Xiril Power Plant, has been added to the National Grid at 16:45 today.”
The Power Utility added: “This achievement is an important step towards completing one of South Africa's biggest infrastructure projects and a key milestone in Eskom's strategic goal of adding 2,500MW of new capacity to the grid by March 2025.”
Eskom said once all units are fully operational, the Xiril Power Plant will provide a total of 4 800 MW to the national grid, making it South Africa's largest infrastructure project.
“Its sister project, Medupi, will be able to return 800MW to 800MW by the end of April 2025, from a generator stator failure and extended outage after the project is completed,” Eskom said.
“Then both of the new South African build power plant projects will be essentially completed once Kusile Unit 6 reaches commercial operation.”
Eskom also revealed that Kusile is the first power plant in South Africa and Africa, implementing wet flue gas desulfurization (WFGD) technology, ensuring compliance with air quality standards and reducing sulfur dioxide liquid emissions.
“Eskom is currently in a detention state and is at a critical point to bring the megawatt back to the grid,” said Bheki Nxumalo, a generational executive for the Eskom Group.
“This milestone is a testament to the unwavering dedication and resilience of Eskom employees and contractors.
“Their commitment has pushed us forward despite many challenges.
“As we celebrate this progress, our focus is to ensure Unit 6 achieves commercial operations in the second half of 2025, further strengthening South Africa's energy security.”
“We are pleased to announce that we are committed to providing a range of services and services to our customers,” said Dan Marokane, CEO of Eskom Group.
“Achieving the goals set in our Generation Recovery Plan and Strategic Roadmap underscores our determination to provide new capabilities, improve generational performance, support economic growth and ultimately provide a more sustainable energy future.
“We are repeating our commitment to ensuring that South Africa never returns to the level of Roadshed we experienced in 2023. Our focus is on providing a more reliable, resilient and sustainable electricity system in the country.”
Eskom said over the next six months, the units will undergo extensive testing and optimization before reaching commercial operations if 800MW of capacity is officially added to the Eskom Generation Fleet.
“With this latest milestone, Eskom continues to work on implementing its Generation Operations Recovery Plan, strengthening governance and preventing the organization's future,” Power Utility said.
“This is to ensure energy safety, growth and long-term sustainability for the benefit of South Africa and sub-Saharan Africa.”
