View source for Lethabo Power Station

{{Short description|Coal power plant in the Free State, South Africa}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox power station
|name                = Lethabo Power Station
|image               = Lethabo Power Station 2.png
|image_caption       = 
|location_map_caption= Location of Lethabo Power Station within South Africa
|location            = [[Metsimaholo Local Municipality|Metsimaholo]], [[Free State (South African province)|Free State]], [[South Africa]]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://plak.co.za/moreinfo/19040/lethabo-power-station |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140804034449/http://plak.co.za/moreinfo/19040/lethabo-power-station |archive-date=2014-08-04 |title=Lethabo Power Station - South Africa}}</ref>
| coordinates = {{coord|26|44|31|S|27|58|39|E|type:landmark_region:ZA-FS|display=inline,title}}
|owner               = [[Eskom]]
|status              = Operational
|th_fuel_primary     = [[Coal]]
|th_combined_cycle   = 
|ps_units_operational= 6<ref name="eskom-lethabo">{{cite web|url=http://www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=179 |title=Lethabo Power Station |publisher=[[Eskom]] |accessdate=11 January 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713043507/http://www.eskom.co.za/live/content.php?Item_ID=179 |archivedate=13 July 2009 }}</ref>
|ps_electrical_capacity= 3,708 [[Megawatt]]<ref name="eskom-lethabo"/>
|commissioned        = 1985
|decommissioned      = 
}}
'''Lethabo Power Station''' in the [[Free State Province|Free State]], [[South Africa]], is a large [[coal fired power station]] owned and operated by [[Eskom]].

==Power generation==
The station is located between Vereeniging and Sasolburg in the Free State and consists of six 618MW units for a total installed capacity of 3,708MW. Total efficiency at Turbine [[Maximum Continuous Rating]] is 37.80%

Lethabo burns coal with a [[calorific value]] of 15 - 16 MJ/kg and an ash content of 42%. It is the only power station in the world running on such low grade coal.

The Lethabo power station has approximately 1100 employees.

=== Technical details ===
*Six 618MW units 
*Installed capacity: 3 708MW 
*2001 capacity: 3558MW 
*Design efficiency at rated turbine MCR (%): 37.80% 
*Ramp rate: 33.33% per hour 
*Average availability over last 3 years: 93.05% 
*Average production over last 3 years: 21 572GWh{{Citation needed|reason=Reliable source needed for the whole sentence|date=March 2015}}

=== History ===
Construction of Lethabo started in 1980 and by December 1990, the station was fully operational. The station has been built on 11 000 concrete piles which were sunk 25 metres deep. The reason being to alleviate the heaving clay problem after some 190 000 bluegum trees were removed during site clearing. At the time, it was the largest piling contract ever awarded to a South African contractor.

== See also ==
{{Portal|South Africa|Energy}}
* [[List of power stations in South Africa]]

==References==
{{reflist}}RSA

==External links==
{{commons category|Lethabo Power Station}}
* [http://www.eskom.co.za/Whatweredoing/ElectricityGeneration/PowerStations/Pages/Lethabo_Power_Station.aspx Lethabo Power Station] on the [[Eskom]]-Website

{{Power in South Africa |state=expanded}}
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[[Category:Coal-fired power stations in South Africa]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the Free State (province)]]
[[Category:Economy of the Free State (province)]]
[[Category:Metsimaholo]]


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