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Power transmission projects progress in Southern Africa

LINKING UP Mozambique and Malawi are undertaking a joint transmission project in coordination with the World Bank

TRANSMISSION TRAJECTORY The Zizabona transmission project consists of the development, financing, construction and operation of new high-voltage transmission facilities

18th April 2014

By: Ilan Solomons

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

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The commissioning of about 22 000 MW of new generation capacity in the Southern African region by 2017 will require new transmission networks to evacuate power from generation stations to load centres in the region, according to Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) coordination centre manager Dr Lawrence Musaba.

Musaba, who addressed the 2014 Power & Electricity World Africa conference in Johannesburg last month, said that good progress had been made on the Zimbabwe-Zambia-Botswana-Namibia (Zizabona) transmission project.

The $225-million Zizabona transmission project consists of the development, financing, construction and operation of new high-voltage transmission facilities in the four countries to establish a western transmission corridor in Southern Africa.

The project is targeted for completion by the end of 2018 and initial transfer capacity is targeted at 300 MW, with the potential to be increased to 600 MW in the future.

“The Zizabona project’s technical and financial proposals were evaluated in three packages – transaction and technical advisory services, environmental- and social-impact assessment (ESIA) for the transmission line in Zambia and project coordination and supervision,” explained Musaba.

Further, he stated that SAPP is currently in discussions with SAPP member countries to award contracts for these packages, which would be “concluded soon”.

South Africa’s State-owned power utility Eskom also joined the Zizabona project last year and has finalised its internal due diligence process for involvement in the project.

Additionally, Botswana’s State-owned power utility Botswana Power Corporation is awaiting the Botswana government’s approval to sign a joint development agreement for the project with the project’s stakeholders.

Further, Musaba added that Zimbabwe completed an environmental-impact assessment (EIA), but it had lapsed and would have to be redone.

“However, Botswana and Namibia completed and approved their respective EIAs for the Zizabona project last year,” he pointed out.

Additional Transmission Projects

Musaba said Mozambique and Malawi were undertaking a joint transmission project, which was being coordinated by United Nations international financial institution the World Bank.

“Utility project teams have been formed, the communication protocol has been set and a World Bank-funded expression of interest for the update of feasibility studies has been launched. This project is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017,” he said.

Further, the Mozambique Backbone transmission project’s basic design and specifications have been completed, with financial closure having been reached for the development of the 1 500 MW Mphanda Nkuwe hydropower plant, on the Zambezi river, between Cahora Bassa and Tete. The power station forms a “critical link in the transmission project” and is due for completion by the end of 2022.

Musaba highlighted that Zambia had started with the construction of the transmission line for the Zambia-Tanzania 400 kV interconnector project.

“The project is receiving funding from the Norwegian government and the project’s consultants are engaged in undertaking several tasks, including the technical feasibility and economic viability study, the conceptual design and tender documents, the ESIA and the resettlement action plan,” he pointed out, adding that the final inception report had been finalised and that the project was scheduled to be completed by the end of 2018.

Meanwhile, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has completed the construction of transmission lines for the DRC-Zambia 220 kV interconnector project. Connection lines in Zambia are scheduled for completion by the end of this year, with the overall interconnection project to be completed by the end of 2015.

“Two newly launched power transmission projects involving South Africa and Zimbabwe, and Zimbabwe and Mozambique, are being supported and funded by the South African State-owned development finance institution the Development Bank of Southern Africa,” Musaba pointed out.

He explained that the purpose of these two new projects was to decongest the central power transmission corridor by establishing an eastern corridor through Zimbabwe.

“Concerning the Zimbabwe-South Africa project, a memorandum of agreement has been signed by Eskom and Zimbabwe’s State-owned power utility Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority, which is awaiting sign-off on the project from the Zimbabwe government. The line route is being finalised and the EIA is expected to start soon. The Zimbabwe-Mozambique project technical teams have also been formed and the project’s scope is being identified,” said Musaba.

Additionally, he noted that terms of reference for the Namibia-Angola transmission line had been agreed upon by the countries’ respective utility companies and that the project was being funded by the government of Angola, which had engaged consultants to start technical feasibility studies.

Musaba also discussed Botswana’s North-West interconnection project, which is linked to the Zizabona project.

“The first stage of this project involves the establishment of a transmission line from the 132 MW Morupule coal-fired power station, in Palapye, in Botswana, through the Central district to the town of Maun, in the north of the country. “This is a critical project that will ensure the increased viability of the Zizabona project’s aim of interconnecting the Southern African grid,” he concluded.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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