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, which will be used to deliver the limestone/dolomite 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 an upgrade of the existing district road, leading from the R50 towards the entrance of the power plant site, and an upgrade of the existing intersection with the R50.

The project may, subject 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 public review period for the integrated water-use licence application for the proposed construction of a 600 MW coal-fired independent power producer plant and associated infrastructure for Kuyasa Mining subsidiary KiPower will be extended until March 24.

The draft report was made available for public review between July 23 and September 2, 2014, followed by the release of an updated report in December.

Engineering and environmental consultants Jones & Wagener (J&W) has said that, owing to requests for an extension of the review period, the report will be available on the J&W website until March 24.

It will also be available for review at the Leandra, Devon and Delmas public libraries.

The water uses identified and applied for under the National Water Act included the abstraction of contaminated water, the storage of water at the power plant and ash disposal facility (ADF) and impeding or diverting the flow of water in a watercourse owing to road upgrades, as well as the development of a Wilge River bridge crossing, conveyors, power plant, ADF and a wetland offset project.

KiPower has also applied for stormwater discharges from the construction area, the discharge of excess treated water during operations in times of extreme rainfall events and disposing of waste in a manner that could detrimentally impact on a water resource.

KiPower expects construction on the power plant to begin this year with the first of the plant’s three units to be operational by 2018.

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.