MHPS Delivers First Boiler To Medupi Power Station In South Africa

800 megawatt Power Plant Commences Commercial Operation

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), in cooperation with Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Europe GmbH and Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Africa (Pty) Ltd., group companies of MHPS, has completed installation and delivery of the first boiler to be supplied to the Medupi Power Station of Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd., a utility company in the Republic of South Africa. The boiler is the first of 12 units to be installed at Eskom's Medupi and Kusile power stations, among the largest coal-fired power stations in South Africa. Going forward, the remaining 11 boilers will be sequentially delivered to support the two power stations' combined 9,600-megawatt (MW) high-efficiency power generation: 4,800 MW (six 800 MW boilers) per station. The Medupi and Kusile power stations are slated for completion in 2019 and 2020, respectively.

The Medupi Power Station, after receiving the first boiler, has now gone into commercial operation. In celebration, a ceremony was held on August 30 (South African local time) in the presence of South African President Jacob Zuma, Eskom Interim Chairman Ben Ngubane and Interim Chief Executive Brian Molefe, and MHPS President Takato Nishizawa.

The boilers being installed in the Medupi and Kusile power stations feature supercritical pressure technologies that enable more efficient power generation than conventional coal-fired power plants. The result is a significant reduction in emissions of CO2.

South Africa is currently taking steps to strengthen its power generation capacity to cope with the country's rapid industrial expansion. When the Medupi and Kusile power stations are both completed, Eskom's power supply capability will increase by 20 percents from the current level, an achievement expected to make a huge contribution to the South African economy.

Going forward MHPS, coordinating closely with its two group companies in Europe and Africa, will cooperate fully towards completion of the two power station construction projects. At the same time, through supply of high-efficiency coal-fired power generation systems addressing environmental needs, the company looks to contribute to South Africa's sustainable economic development and reduction of the country's environmental burdens.