Fire incident damages a generator transformer at Kendal Power Station and takes two further units offline

What happened

Eskom said that, over the weekend before 13 September 2021, a fire incident at Kendal Power Station in South Africa damaged the generator transformer on Unit 1. Units 2 and 3 were shut down following that damage. Eskom said Units 2 and 3 would return to service early the following week and Unit 1 during November 2021. It expected to use more diesel and said it did not anticipate load shedding because of the incident. The time of the fire, how it started, whether anyone was hurt, and any further equipment damage were not reported in this account.

Contributing factors

The cause of the fire and of the damage to the Unit 1 generator transformer was not reported. It was also not reported why the damage led to Units 2 and 3 being shut down.

Lessons learned

1. A fault on one generator transformer can take neighbouring units out of service, so operators should plan for a multi-unit loss, not only the failed unit.
2. Return-to-service dates and the effect on diesel use and supply should be stated clearly while the cause is still unknown.
3. Until a fuller account is published, the root cause and any spread of damage should be treated as not established.

Source

citizen.co.za