The Civil Engineering Contractor February 2019 | Page 17

Matla, a Sotho word meaning ‘strength’ or ‘power’, is
a coal-fired power station located near Kriel on the
Mpumalanga Highveld about 200km from Johannesburg.
Such developments take on new significance as the
Southern African Power Pool (see page 36) aims to
share power capacity throughout the broader region.
The massive 3  600MW power station is currently the
biggest power station in South Africa (and the first using
600MW turbo-generators) and one of the largest in the
world. Matla was the first of the giant 3  600MW coal-
fired power stations in the world with a concrete boiler
house superstructure. This gives it a robust appearance,
which is very different from that of other power stations
in South Africa. The unusual design evolved as a result of
a worldwide steel shortage during the design stages. The
planning and design of Matla power station commenced
in the early 1970s. It was designed for an operating life of
30 years, but substantial coal reserves have extended its
lifespan to 50 years. The station consists of six 600MW
units, giving an installed capacity of 3 600MW.
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