An exhaust vent which was never properly hooked up resulted in ash particles building up inside a massive duct over nearly five years that caused the collapse of a section of the pipe at Kusile power station last week, according to Eskom sources.

The build up of corrosive ash caused too much weight to rest inside the ducting. The problem was compounded by an apparent lack of maintenance and bad management, as well as design problems, that are said to be behind the latest disaster to befall the R160 billion Kusile. Pipe Elbow 180 Degree

The duct, with an approximately 9m diameter, was part of the flue gas desulphurization (FGD) plant, a section of the power station that removes harmful sulphur dioxide from the exhaust gases of the coal burning unit. The duct broke off at its connection to a steel internal flue that sits within one of Kusile’s two 220m-tall chimneys.

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