Switzerland based power and automation technology group, ABB has officially announced that it has won a contract from South African power utility, Eskom, worth over $160 million (R1.9 billion).<\/p>\n
ABB will supply control systems, software and instrumentation for the 4,800 megawatt (MW) Kusile coal-fired power station currently under construction in Mpumalanga.<\/p>\n
It follows Eskom’s termination of its contract for control and instrumentation works with Alstom S&E Africa on Friday (23 March).<\/p>\n
The much-delayed Kusile power station was due to come online in 2014, but its 6 x 800MW units are now only expected to come online in 2020.<\/p>\n
“With the support of both organisations, a consensual termination has been reached on a co-operative walk-away basis,” Eskom said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Alstom C&I still has a contract in place for Eskom’s Medupi power station, which came online earlier in March, following similar delays to Kusile.<\/p>\n
“ABB was selected from two suppliers which were evaluated as part of an extensive procurement process executed in parallel with the negotiation and subsequent consensual termination of the C&I contract,” Eskom said in a statement on Friday.<\/p>\n
Kusile will be the fourth largest coal-fired power station in the world and is among a new generation of high-pressure, high-temperature power installations, also known as supercritical, whose efficiency surpasses that of conventional coal-fired power plants, producing lower emissions and reducing fuel costs, ABB said.<\/p>\n
ABB is supplying a complete control and instrumentation solution for the entire plant, including boiler protection and plant simulator, engineering, installation, commissioning, optimization and training.<\/p>\n
Eskom recently suspended its chief executive Tshediso Matona, finance director Tsholofelo Molefe, group capital executive Dan Morokane, and commercial and technology executive Matshela Koko as the power utility embarks on a fact-finding inquiry.<\/p>\n
In recent months, Eskom has battled to keep the lights on following the collapse of one of its coal storage silos, diesel shortages, and maintenance issues.<\/p>\n
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