The first of the 4,764-MW Medupi coal-fired powerplant's six units commenced commercial operations in South Africa in September, almost six months after it was synchronized to the national grid and three years after it initially was set to be operational.
The entire $7.6-billion project, developed by South Africa’s state power company Eskom, has an operational life of 50 years and is slated for completion in 2019. However, intermittent labor unrest and technical challenges have delayed completion of various work on unit No. 6, the deadline of which could be revised to accommodate the disruptions.