Name and Location
KiPower coal-fired power plant, Mpumalanga, South Africa.
Client
KiPower is a subsidiary of Kuyasa Mining, which also owns Delmas Coal and iKhwezi Colliery.
Project Description
The project proposes to establish a new 600 MW mine-mouth coal-fired power station, comprising four 150 MW units consisting of a single subcritical drum-type, reheat circulating fluidised-bed boiler.
Delmas Coal will provide the coal to fuel the power plant.
An ash disposal facility will be located near the plant. Included in the proposed project is a water supply pipeline, which will run from the existing Rand Water bulk supply line to the power plant. The plant will use air-cooled condensers and, therefore, significantly lower volumes of water than an equivalent power plant using a wet cooling system.
A dry-ash management system will also be used. To meet the required emissions standards, the existing rail that runs along the western boundary of Delmas Coal will supply limestone or dolomite to the plant. A new rail spur will be added for unloading the limestone/dolomite onto an overland conveyor to deliver it to the plant.
There will be a short conveyor from Delmas Coal’s North shaft processing plant to the power plant and an ash conveyor from the power plant to the ash disposal facility.
Access to the main entrance of the power plant site will require upgrades to the existing district road, leading from the R50 towards the entrance of the power plant site, and to the existing intersection with the R50.
The project might be subjected to several further studies and authorisations, be expanded to produce up to 2 000 MW in the long term.
Value
Capital investment is estimated at $1.7-billion.
Duration
KiPower has targeted 2015 for production and expects the first of the plant’s four units to be operational by 2018.
Latest Developments
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) has requested additional information on the final environmental-impact assessment (EIA) report submitted for the proposed construction of the 600 MW coal-fired independent power producer (IPP) plant and associated infrastructure for Kuyasa Mining subsidiary KiPower.
A draft report had been made available for public review from July 23 to September 2, 2014, followed by the release of an updated report in December.
The department is requesting additional information regarding the cumulative impacts of the proposed power line connection and the terms of a proposed agreement with State-owned power utility Eskom on the connection options for the plant.
The DEA has further requested that an assessment of the option of not implementing the proposed IPP and associated infrastructure be included.
Also, the Environmental Management Programme document has to be a standalone document, separate from the EIA report.
Engineering and environmental consultants Jones & Wagener have said that the additional information to the EIA report will be made available on its website and at various public facilities from March 27 to April 28, 2015, for public comment.
Following the additional information being included in the EIA report, the DEA will consider the EIA report on receipt of all the outstanding requested information.
Key Contracts and Suppliers
Black & Veatch (prefeasibility study), J&W (independent environmental consultant).
On Budget and on Time?
Not stated.
Contact Details for Project Information
Kuyasa Mining, tel +27 13 656 36 59 or fax +27 13 690 35 45.
Black & Veatch, tel +1 913 458 2000 or email Corporateinfo@bv.com.
J&W, tel + 27 11 519 0200, fax +27 11 519 0201.