Eskom's Kusile Power Station is generating no power. The plant went offline last year after a chimney accident at one unit, which affected two other units. The utility has put in place a temporary measure to ensure Kusile can generate power this year -- at a cost upwards of R250m.

Four units at Kusile Power Station are expected to come back online by the end of 2023, Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said during a media tour of Kusile on Monday.

One of the units is undergoing planned maintenance, while the other three have been offline due to a flue-gas desulphurisation (FGD) mechanism that was damaged in October 2022 at Unit 1, and affected the units' stacks (chimneys). An FGD is a mechanism that helps to reduce sulphur dioxide (SO2) that goes into the atmosphere.

After the FGD collapsed, Eskom embarked on the construction of three temporary stacks that are expected to be completed in November. Two of the three 160m-tall temporary stacks are complete and the other is in the process of completion.

Ramakgopa told reporters that units 1, 2 and 3 would come online in early October, the end of October and the end of November, respectively. He added that Unit 4, which is undergoing planned maintenance, would come online next week. Each unit produces 720MW and once all four are online they will contribute almost 2,900MW to the grid.

"It's not a linear relationship," said Ramakgopa when asked how additional energy supply would affect load shedding.

"Although we...