The Kusile power station has temporarily been shut down.

This, after a section of Unit 1 flue gas duct – similar to the chimney of a household, which allows Sulphur dioxide to be absorbed failed. Investigations into the incident is underway and assessments are being conducted to determine the cause of the failure and the extent of the damages.

Eskom says it is in consultation with various stakeholders, including the Original Equipment Manufacturer to determine the best course of action to restore the plant as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, Eskom overspent by R 6.7 billion on diesel between the start of the year and September.

CEO, Andre de Ruyter says however, that the high diesel consumption was necessary this year to help fight the impact of load shedding. The budget to operate Eskom’s open-cycle gas turbines is R 2.6 billion.

But Eskom spent R 9.3 billion. de Ruyter says that the costs must be recovered from savings elsewhere in the utility.

The utility is also owed R53 billion in municipal debt.