Matla, which means strength or power in SeSotho, is a coal-fired power station, situated near Kriel on the Mpumalanga highveld, approximately 200km from Johannesburg. It is a base-load plant, which means it operates continuously, except for regular scheduled stoppages for inspection and maintenance on the individual units. Matla consists of six 600MW units at an installed capacity of 3 600MW, the first of the giant 3600MW coal-fired power station to be commissioned in the 1980's. Average availability over the last 3 years is at 93. 84% . There's approximately 718 employees (excluding students and contractors) at this station. Matla is one of a few power stations in the world with a concrete boiler house superstructure, giving it an outward appearance very different from other power stations in South Africa. The use of concrete reduced the construction lead time and capital costs at a time when there was a worldwide shortage of steel. The planning and design of Matla Power stat