Arnot Power Station

ARNOT POWER STATION

Location: Approximately 50km east of Middelburg in Mpumalanga.

Employees: Approximately 800.

Technical details:

Six 350MW units
Installed capacity: 2 100MW
2001 capacity : 1 980MW
Design efficiency at rated turbine MCR (%): 35.60%
Ramp rate: 34.48% per hour
Average availability over last 3 years: 92.07%
Average production over last 3 years: 9 675GWh

History: In 1965/66 contractors started with roads, pipelines and ground works on the farm Rietkuil, which Eskom bought from seven owners. Sufficient water and especially coal supply in the Rietkuil area ensured that the construction of Arnot Power Station commenced in 1968. Arnot was Eskom's first modern coal-fired power station and was fully operational by June 1975. Three of its units were put into reserve storage (mothballed) in 1992 due to the surplus generating capacity Eskom had at the time. The units were recommissioned in January 1997, November 1997 and December 1998 respectively. The station is 31 years old.

General: Two 400kV transmission lines, owned by MOTRACO, run from Arnot and Camden power stations to a substation near Maputo in Mozambique, feeding the new MOZAL Aluminium smelter.

Contact details: