As Kusile unit returns early, South Africa misses renewables procurement deadline

Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa has welcomed the earlier-than-expected return of Kusile Unit 3 coal-fired generation, but has also acknowledged that government simultaneously failed to meet its end of September deadline for the release of the next public procurement round for renewable energy. Eskom confirmed on Saturday September 30 that Kusile Unit 3 had been restarted nearly a year after it, together with units 1 and 2, became inoperable after a slurry build up in the Unit 1 flue led to its collapse, damaging the other two flues in the west chimney they share in the process.