Medupi\u2019s unit six turbine is now running at optimum speed, Public Enterprises Minister Lynne Brown said on Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to announce that the Medupi unit six turbine commissioning has reached a critical milestone. It is now running at the optimum speed of 3000 revolutions per minute, and I really think you should say \u2018well done\u2019 to Eskom,\u201d she said during debate on President Jacob Zuma\u2019s state-of-the-nation address.<\/p>\n
This paved the way for the synchronisation of unit six, which she expected to happen \u201cwithin weeks\u201d.<\/p>\n
The announcement follows concern last month that commissioning of the unit was well behind schedule because blow-through tests \u2014 in which the steam quality and velocity in the turbine are measured \u2014 were taking weeks longer than expected because of quality shortcomings.<\/p>\n
Browne said government was fast-tracking regulations to enable Eskom to boost its supply by signing contracts with private-sector power producers.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy April 2015 this will add 1000 megawatts (to the grid),\u201d Browne said.<\/p>\n