Kusile Power Station — South Africa
Coal power plant in Gauteng, South Africa. Approximate location -25.9194, 28.9156.
CoalGautengSouth AfricasupercriticalCO₂ modelled
Kusile Power Station is a 4,800 MW coal power station in Gauteng, South Africa. It is operated by Eskom. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 6.0 million homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 152 South Africa power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2018, it is around 8 years old — recently built. Its modelled annual emissions are 17,834,000 t CO₂/yr (Climate TRACE), equivalent to about 4.2 million cars driven for a year. In context, coal supplies about 81.4% of South Africa's electricity; the national grid averages 699 gCO₂/kWh (17.8% low-carbon) (2025).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1061281.
Data status
Known data
Modelled source data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 4,800 MW for Kusile power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Source of the capacity and fuel values:
capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000103448; fuel: WRI GPPD
In context: how this plant compares
At 4,800 MW, Kusile Power Station is well above the median coal plant in South Africa (1,180 MW). Technically it is described as supercritical. Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
~17,834,000 t CO₂/yr (modelled) — in everyday terms
This facility's annual emissions are roughly equivalent to:
Equivalencies via US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies; modelled emissions from Climate TRACE.
Key facts
- Share of South Africa coal capacity
- 7.1% of 67,847 MW across 37 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 17 of 18 dated coal plants in South Africa are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in South Africa
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Eskom. All plants by this company →
Local climate & thermal context
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a subtropical highland climate (Köppen Cwb) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 25.9°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Monthly mean temperature
Heating degree-days here run 62% below the median power plant in this dataset — a proxy for how much extra energy heated equipment must replace through its surfaces in winter.
Climate heat-demand index: 26/100 — this site sits in the bottom third of the power plants we cover by heating degree-days.
Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a mild atmospheric environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C2 — Low), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #1 largest coal power plant of 37 in South Africa by capacity.
South Africa has 37 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 67,847 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Kendal power station · Coal · 4,116 MW · Mpumalanga
- Transalloy power station · Coal · 135 MW · Mpumalanga
- KiPower power station · Coal · 600 MW · Mpumalanga
- Duvha power station · Coal · 3,000 MW · Mpumalanga
- Kriel power station · Coal · 3,000 MW · Mpumalanga
- Matla power station · Coal · 3,600 MW · Mpumalanga
Location
Coordinates -25.9194, 28.9156 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is Kusile Power Station?
Kusile Power Station is a 4,800 MW coal power plant in Gauteng, South Africa, commissioned in 2018.
Who operates Kusile Power Station?
Kusile Power Station is operated by Eskom.
How much CO₂ does Kusile Power Station emit?
Kusile Power Station has modelled emissions of about 17,834,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year (Climate TRACE).