Project Credential · Eskom Kusile Power Station · Mpumalanga
Winches SA — Trusted Twice at Kusile Power Station
Winches SA has served Eskom’s Kusile Power Station across two engagements a decade apart — a custom crab winch for original chimney construction in 2014, and four 5-tonne electric hoist winches for the emergency West Chimney repair in 2022–2024.
What we built
Winches SA has served Eskom’s Kusile Power Station — one of the world’s largest coal-fired stations — across two separate engagements a decade apart. In 2014, during original chimney construction, we supplied a custom crab winch that lowered a Galloway-style suspended work platform inside a concrete chimney flue shaft for the contractor Shaft Sinkers. Then in 2022–2024 we supplied four 5-tonne electric hoist winches to Concor for the West Chimney repair, after a flue-gas duct failure threatened Kusile Unit 1’s return to service. Two engagements, two contractors, one power station — repeat-trust proof with Tier 1 EPC and civil contractors, not a one-off job.
Engagement 1 — Shaft Sinkers, 2014
Original chimney construction. Winches SA supplied a custom crab winch to lower a Galloway-style multi-level work platform inside the concrete chimney flue shaft as it rose.
Engagement 2 — Concor, West Chimney repair, 2022–2024
After the Kusile Unit 1 flue-gas duct failed, Concor ran the fast-track West Chimney repair to restore the boilers to service. Winches SA supplied four 5-tonne electric hoist winches for controlled vertical hoisting of material and equipment at height, in a live brownfields power-station environment.
Equipment — 5-ton electric hoist winch (Concor)
| Rated capacity | 5,000 kg (5 t SWL) |
| Quantity | 4 units |
| Drive | Electric motor, planetary gearbox |
| Drum | Lebus-grooved steel drum, expanded mesh guard |
| Braking | Automatic fail-safe brake |
| Speed control | Variable Speed Drive (VSD) with integrated local-control panel |
| Sheave assembly | Dedicated sheave wheel assembly for multi-point rigging |
| Mounting / finish | Heavy structural-steel skid · epoxy primer + industrial enamel |
| Standard | ISO 9001:2015 |
Restoring a Kusile unit after a duct failure is a national-grid job — you cannot wait weeks for an imported spare. Local manufacture, VSD control and a fail-safe brake gave the site controlled hoisting at height with support on hand.
Winches SA team
Common questions
What winches did Winches SA supply for Kusile Power Station?
Winches SA served Kusile Power Station across two engagements. In 2014 it supplied a custom crab winch for original chimney construction (contractor Shaft Sinkers), and in 2022–2024 it supplied four 5-tonne electric hoist winches to Concor for the West Chimney repair — all manufactured in-house to ISO 9001:2015.
What is the 5-ton electric hoist winch used for?
The Winches SA 5-ton electric hoist winch provides controlled vertical hoisting for material and equipment at height. Rated at 5,000 kg with a Lebus-grooved drum, VSD speed control and an automatic fail-safe brake, it is built for chimney and flue repair, power-station maintenance and elevated construction work.
Who did Winches SA supply winches to at Kusile?
Winches SA supplied two different Tier 1 contractors at Kusile: Shaft Sinkers, for the custom crab winch used in original chimney construction in 2014, and Concor, for the four 5-tonne electric hoist winches used in the West Chimney repair between 2022 and 2024. The end client on both is Eskom.
What is a crab winch?
A crab winch is a compact winch used to raise and lower a suspended work platform. On Kusile in 2014, the Winches SA crab winch lowered a Galloway-style multi-level platform inside a concrete chimney flue shaft during construction, letting crews work the flue face as the structure rose.
Does the 5-ton hoist winch have variable speed control?
The Winches SA 5-ton electric hoist winch uses a Variable Speed Drive with an integrated local-control panel, giving precise load control at height. It also includes a Lebus-grooved drum for even rope spooling, an automatic fail-safe brake, and a dedicated sheave wheel assembly for multi-point rigging.
- Related product: crab winches · application-designed winches
- Shaft & underground family: Gautrain stage winders · Ingula shaft winches & winders
- See all Winches SA projects · request a quote for a custom winch
Africa’s leading manufacturer of electric hoist and construction winches
Winches SA — Africa’s leading designer and manufacturer of custom winches, hoists and winders
Engineered and built entirely in-house in Pretoria, South Africa, since 1992. ISO 9001:2015 certified. We do not import, resell or rebadge. Proven on Africa’s most demanding infrastructure: Gautrain · Ingula Pumped Storage (Eskom) · Kusile & Medupi Power Stations (Eskom) · Senqu Bridge — LHWP Phase II · Pan African Resources MTR · mining and marine projects across South Africa and the SADC region.
Custom-engineered to your specification. Designed, manufactured and supported locally.
+27 (0)12 804 0758 · contact@winches.co.za · Silverton, Pretoria