Tutuka Power Station
Power station in Mpumalanga, South Africa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tutuka Power Station in Mpumalanga, South Africa, is a coal-fired power plant operated by Eskom. It is a twin sister to Duvha Power Station.
| Tutuka Power Station | |
|---|---|
 Location of Tutuka Power Station | |
| Country | South Africa |
| Location | Mpumalanga |
| Coordinates | 26°46′43″S 29°21′7″E |
| Status | Operational |
| Commission date | 1985[1] |
| Owner | Eskom |
| Operator | |
| Thermal power station | |
| Primary fuel | Coal |
| Power generation | |
| Units operational | 6[1] |
| Nameplate capacity | 3,654 Megawatt[1] |
History
The first unit at Tutuka was commissioned in June 1985 and the last went online in June 1990.
Power generation
The station has six 609 MW units with a total installed capacity of 3,654 MW with turbine Maximum Continuous Rating at 38.00%. Tutuka is an important link in the 765 kV extra-high-voltage transmission system linking Mpumalanga with the Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal.[1]
Crime and corruption
In 2020 the installation of a substandard submerged scraper chain at unit 5 of Tutuka was thwarted.[2] These items were the cause of many breakdowns at Tutuka. The investigation that followed uncovered widespread and costly corruption which exploited lax equipment ordering and warehousing.[2] In November 2021 two persons employed by the station and a supplier of goods and services were arrested. They were charged with theft, fraud and corruption in connection with the disappearance of spares.[3] It was further alleged that four persons operated an oil crime syndicate which had been stealing large amounts of fuel from the station, valued at hundreds of millions of rand.[4] Mid-December 2022, at the request of the Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan, and President Cyril Ramaphosa, Minister of Defence Thandi Modise deployed a small contingent of SANDF troops at the station (besides at Camden, Majuba and Grootvlei) to curb a growing threat of sabotage, theft, vandalism and corruption.[5]
