Name of the Project
Khanyisa independent power power producer coal-fired power station project coal-fired power project.

Location
Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Client
The project is being undertaken by the ACWA Power, and will be operated and maintained by a partnership between Palace Group, an emerging South African BEE enterprise and NOMAC, a company which is wholly owned by ACWA Power.

Project Description
The project involves the construction of a 306 MW coal-fired power plant using circulating fluidised-bed technology.

The plant will use the discard coal abundantly available as waste piles at the nearby Anglo American collieries, thereby significantly reducing the environmental impact of the waste on the surrounding region.

It will also eliminate the need for and the consequences of mining new coal seams.

The Khanyisa power plant is designed as a zero-liquid-effluent discharge plant to further minimise the impact on the environment.

The water used at the power plant will be reclaimed from underground mine operations in combination with a dry-cooled power plant configuration, which will minimise water consumption and negate the need to consume precious local water resources.

Khanyisa was selected in the first round of the Department of Energy’s coal baseload independent power producer procurement programme in October.

Jobs to be Created
The construction of the plant will create direct work for more than 3 000 people, and 150 people during the operational life of the plant.

Value
Not stated.

Duration
The plant is expected to enter into operation in December 2020.

Latest Developments
Civil society organisation Life After Coal contends that the Khanyisa coal-fired power station will never be built. The organisation has said that the  project is “mired” in multiple legal challenges that will continue for years. 

Khanyisa is being subjected to a review in the Pretoria High Court on the issue of environmental authorisation without an adequate climate change impact assessment. Its atmospheric emission and water-use licences are also subject to an appeal by groundWork.

However, ACWA has applied to the Water and Sanitation Minister to lift the suspension of the water-use licence, which will be resisted as well.

Further, Khanyisa is yet to obtain a generation licence from National Energy Regulator of South Africa. groundWork has objected to the generation licence application and presented issues to the regulator already. If issued, the licence will be challenged in the High Court.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
None stated.

On Budget and on Time?
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
ACWA Power tel +27 11 722 4100 or fax +27 11 722 4113.