Medupi Power Station

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Medupi Power Station
Location of Medupi Power Station
Country South Africa
Location Lephalale
Coordinates 23°42′S 27°33′E / 23.700°S 27.550°E / -23.700; 27.550Coordinates: 23°42′S 27°33′E / 23.700°S 27.550°E / -23.700; 27.550
Status Under construction
Commission date 2013
Owner(s) Eskom
Power station
Primary fuel Coal
Generation units 6 × 798 MW
Power generation
Installed capacity none
Maximum capacity 4,788 MW

The Medupi Power Station is a new dry-cooled coal-fired power station being built by Eskom near Lephalale in Limpopo province, South Africa. When completed, the power station is to have six boilers each powering an 800 MW turbine, producing 4800 MW of power. It is expected to become the largest dry-cooled coal-fired power station in the world.[1] Contracts have been placed with Hitachi to supply the boilers and Alstom to provide the steam turbines for this plant.[2] At R33.6 Billion, these are the biggest contracts ever placed by Eskom. Super-critical boilers will be used to improve the efficiency of the power plant.[3]

Medupi will be supplied by coal from Exxaro's Grootegeluk coal mine, located north of the site. Eskom has placed a contract with Exxaro to supply 14.6 MT of coal per year for 40 years.[4] The first 800 MW unit is expected to be commissioned in early 2014, with the next units following at nine-month intervals. The power station is currently expected to cost R170 Billion.[5]

The building of the coal power station has attracted widespread criticism in South Africa.[6] Critics have alleged that the government pushed the project forward because the African National Congress held a 25% share of the venture and stood to make a profit of close to 1 Billion rand on the deal.[7][8] Backers of the project argued that the plant is needed to supply vital electricity to South Africa over the long term.[9] Some point out that effective management of coal supplies was what was really needed, rather than yet another environmentally unfriendly coal station.[10]

The African Development Bank lent $500 million for the project in 2008. In 2010, the World Bank agreed to lend South Africa $3.75 billion to assist with several energy projects, with $3.05 billion allocated for completion of the Medupi power station. The approval of the World Bank loan drew criticism for supporting increased global emissions of greenhouse gases.[11]

According to Eskom, the name chosen for the station, Medupi, is a Sepedi word for "rain that soaks parched lands".[12]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Medupi Power Station". Eskom. 
  2. ↑ "R33.6-billion Eskom contracts awarded for Medupi power station". 14 Nov 2007. 
  3. ↑ http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/supercritical-boilers-to-improve-efficiency-at-medupi-2007-12-14
  4. ↑ http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/medupi-project-on-track-for-scheduled-delivery-2008-12-05
  5. ↑ Reuters http://uk.reuters.com/article/oilRpt/idUKLK4963152009012 |url= missing title (help). 
  6. ↑ Rafey, William and Sovacool, B.K. (2011). "Competing Discourses of Energy Development: The Implications of the Medupi Coal-Fired Power Plant in South Africa," Global Environmental Change, 21(3), pp. 1141-1151.
  7. ↑ "Opposition slams ANC 'about-turn' on Hitachi". Mail & Guardian Online. 14 April 2010. Retrieved 24 May 2010. 
  8. ↑ http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-04-03-zille-says-anc-stands-to-make-r1bn-from-medupi
  9. ↑ http://powerplants.einnews.com/login.php?redir=%2Fnews.php%3Fwid%3D287187525&n=12
  10. ↑ http://www.info.gov.za/otherdocs/2008/nationalresponse_sa_electricity1.pdf
  11. ↑ Friedman, Lisa (2010-04-09). "South Africa Wins $3.75 Billion Coal Loan". The New York Times. 
  12. ↑ "Kusile and Medupi coal-fired power stations under construction". Eskom. 
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