Matimba power station

From Global Energy Monitor
Part of the
Global Coal Plant Tracker,
a Global Energy Monitor project.
Download full dataset
Report an error
Related coal trackers:

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.

Loading map...


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]

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.[11]

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.[12][13]

Articles and Resources

References

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.