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Matimba power station is an operating power station of at least 3990-megawatts (MW) in Lephalale, Waterberg, Limpopo, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Matimba power station | Lephalale, Waterberg, Limpopo, South Africa | -23.668833, 27.610838 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3, Unit 4, Unit 5, Unit 6: -23.668833, 27.610838
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1987 | 2037 (planned) |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1987 | 2037 (planned) |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1988 | 2038 (planned) |
| Unit 4 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1989 | 2039 (planned) |
| Unit 5 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1990 | 2040 (planned) |
| Unit 6 | operating | coal - bituminous | 665 | subcritical | 1991 | 2041 (planned) |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
| Unit 5 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
| Unit 6 | Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd (Eskom) [100.0%] |
Background
Matimba power station is a six-unit coal-fired power plant with a total capacity of 3,990 MW. The plant was completed between 1987 and 1991, and is owned by Eskom.[1]
According to a 2018 case study, the adjacent Grootegeluk coal mine has sufficient coal reserves to guarantee Matimba a minimum lifespan of 35 years, extending to a possible 50 years at 2,100 - 2,130 tons of coal per hour.[2] Another 2020 article found that at the current rate of production, the open pit mine has enough coal for the next 125 years.[3]
The plant has been described as follows: "Compared with the national angst about Medupi power station’s frequent outages and design flaws, Matimba is downright boring: it simply burns coal and produces carbon dioxide, over and over again, and will do so for decades to come."[3]
In October 2021, the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment denied Eskom's request for environmental compliance postponement for the power station.[4] Eskom appealed the decision and claimed that, if implemented, it "would have a significant negative impact on the economy and employment … and delay the country’s plans for an energy transition to a cleaner energy supply.”[5]
According to South Africa's 2019 Integrated Resource Plan, the plant's 50-year Life Decommissioning is projected for 2037-2041.[6] In April 2020, Eskom listed the unit retirement dates between 2038 and 2042.[7]
In June 2022, a unit at the Matimba power station tripped. The break down contributed to Stage 2 loadshedding and the ongoing vulnerability of Eskom's grid.[8]
In March 2023, it was reported that maintenance on Unit 5 could be delayed due to a strike by 147 employees of a company subcontracted by Eskom to perform repairs on equipment.[9]
In August 2023, two units at the power station were taken offline for repairs. Eskom announced Stage 4 load shedding amid a country-wide loss of generation capacity.[10]
Sabotage investigation
In late 2021, three of its units went down simultaneously after technicians dropped an extension cord onto the unit 2 transformer. Eskom CEO André de Ruyter – who had earlier shared that criminal elements were attempting to sabotage the power utility – explained that a team had been working on the station’s dry cooling fans when they dropped the cord. This caused a flash, which tripped the station board and shut down all cooling to units 1, 2, and 3, leading to all three shutting down.[11][12]
Environmental impact
In September 2023, Reuters published an analysis showing that four Eskom power stations — Kriel power station, Matimba power station, Matla power station, and Kendal power station — had breached regulations for particulate matter emissions in the prior year.[13]
According to a March 2024 report on air pollution in Africa by Greenpeace, Matimba power station was among Africa's ten largest point sources of nitrogen oxide (NOx) pollution from May 2018 to November 2021. Eight other Eskom coal plants were included in the top ten NOx emissions hotspots in Africa for that period. Matimba power station was also among the top ten sulfur dioxide (SO2) emitters in Africa in 2022, along with five other Eskom coal plants. The report noted that government data on emissions in Africa is patchy, so the authors relied on satellite measurements.[14]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ Eskom, "Generations Plant Mix Revision 8", May 2008.
- ↑ "Eskom, Matimba Power Plant, South Africa: Digitalizing One of the Largest Power Plants in the World", Hexagon PPM, 2018
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The story of SA’s biggest power plant, and its little town", Mail & Guardian, April 29, 2020
- ↑ “Eskom to engage on way forward after being denied permission to delay air-quality compliance,” Engineering News, December 14, 2021
- ↑ "'No risk of power outages' as Eskom can appeal emission extension refusals," Times Live, December 15, 2021
- ↑ "Integrated Resource Plan (IRP2019)," South Africa, October 2019 (figure 26)
- ↑ "Response of Eskom to CER, Reference number: PAIA 0087 MAN," CER website, April 28, 2020
- ↑ "Eskom Warns Power Cuts May be Ramped Up During Evening Peaks," Eyewitness News, June 22, 2022
- ↑ "Possible delays at Matimba power station due to a workers’ strike," Capricorn FM, March 31, 2023
- ↑ "Eskom ramps up SA to stage 4 load shedding," The Citizen, August 29, 2023
- ↑ "Eskom employee arrested — copper cable worth R540,000 confiscated," My broadband, November 24, 2021
- ↑ "Inside Eskom sabotage: Delayed report reveals how insiders helped the power station criminals," Times Live, November 28, 2021
- ↑ "Exclusive: South African utility Eskom pollutes more in bid to keep lights on," Reuters, September 27, 2023
- ↑ "Major Air Polluters in Africa Unmasked," Greenpeace Africa and Greenpeace Middle East and North Africa, March 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
