Medupi Power Station

Medupi Power Station is a coal-fired power station near Lephalale, in Limpopo province, South Africa. It is owned and operated by Eskom, the state-owned electricity utility. Designed as a base-load facility, it uses six units employing supercritical boiler technology, with an installed capacity of about 4 764 MW, making it one of the largest coal-fired power stations in the world. The plant burns coal sourced from adjacent reserves, feeding it into the national grid to help address South Africa's persistent electricity shortages and loadshedding. Construction began in 2007, and the station has faced years of delays, cost overruns and design defects, including a boiler explosion in one unit that required lengthy repairs. It forms a key part of Eskom's generation fleet alongside Kusile Power Station, both critical to national energy security. Medupi has drawn scrutiny over construction quality, corruption allegations and its environmental footprint amid South Africa's broader energy transition. Its performance remains central to debates on grid stability, the shift towards renewable energy and independent power producers, and government efforts to reduce reliance on coal while maintaining supply.