Eskom reports explosion at Medupi power station

By Paul Burkhardt

(Bloomberg) – South Africa’s state-owned power utility Eskom said an explosion occurred at a unit of the Medupi power station, one of its newest plants.

The incident took place late on Aug. 8 and is suspected of having caused another unit to trip, the utility said in a statement. There were no injuries reported and all employees and contractors were accounted for.

The 4,764-megawatt Medupi coal station started commercial operation on the last of six units earlier this month, marking completion of all building activities. The plant is part of Eskom’s new build programme, which has been years behind schedule and run over budget. In the meantime, the utility struggles to meet demand.

An investigation into the incident is underway, Eskom said.

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