Page 13 - AfrElec Week 17

AfrElec
NEWS IN BRIEF
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infrastructure vandalised and damaged. During the strike action internals of
the Electrostatic Precipitator (ESP) were vandalised and the functioning of the dust handling plant compromised.
To repair the internals of the ESPs of several generation units requires long outages, and the repairs on generation units can only be executed one after the other.
Unit 1 has been operating since 18 February 2020, within the 100mg/Nm3 emission limit after a 14 day outage.
Unit 2 is also operating within the regulatory compliance limits.
Unit 5 is currently off and repairs on the ESP’s and Dust Handling Plant have begun.
Eskom said however, due to long lead times to manufacture components it is expected
that the unit will only return to service during the first quarter of 2021. Thereafter, the next planned outage will be Unit 6.
Units 3, 4 and 6 are currently operating above the emission limits, for which Eskom has been granted an extension.
Given the generation system constraints Eskom will, as speedily as possible, execute the work on one unit at a time.
Eskom is committed to addressing the emission issues at Kendal power station and is in the process of doing so.
ESKOM
Eskom launches low carbon tender for coal plants
South African utility Eskom has issued an expression of interest for “Decomissioned Power Station Repurposing.”
The state-owned company said that some of its coal-fired power plants are approaching the end of their 50-year design lifecycles. It added that a number of units have already been scheduled for decommissioning over the next decade.
“Furthermore, national legislation requires decommissioned power plants, together
with their surrounding brownfield sites,
to be rehabilitated and for rigorous post- decommissioning environmental impact monitoring regimes be implemented,” it said.
Eskom is seeking proposals on how to “repurpose” old, dirty power plants with technologies that support low-carbon growth, enterprise development, and sustainable job growth.
“It is vital that innovative solutions with a win-win value proposition be sought and explored to mitigate the potential negative impacts of Eskom’s decommissioning programme on all stakeholders,” the utility added.
Eskom said the proposed solutions should
be at the tech-readiness level. “Submissions should be in the form of a conceptual business case, not exceeding 25 pages, containing
the high-level concepts and a technical
and economic overview of the solution,” it explained. “The proposal should focus on repurposing of Komati, Grootvlei and Camden power stations.”
Eskom shuts power plant after dam collapse warning
Eskom said it had temporarily closed its Camden power plant because the dam where it stores the ash from burning coal could burst and endanger local residents, Bloomberg reported.
The 1,600MW power plant will be closed for up to three months after a “review by a professional body,” Eskom said in a statement.
“The contractor concluded that the current dam has reached its maximum height and therefore it poses a safety risk to all personnel on site, including neighbouring communities and could also be a cause for environmental contravention,” the utility said.
The closure adds to the environmental challenges faced by the company, which produces almost all of South Africa’s power. Eskom also faces the potential partial closure of its Kendal power plant because it breaches pollution emission limits.
GAS-FIRED GENERATION
Azito expansion attracts MIGA guarantees
Building on nearly two decades of World Bank Group support for Côte d’Ivoire’s energy sector, MIGA has issued guarantees for the Phase 4 expansion of the Azito combined cycle gas-power plant.
The expansion will provide an additional 253MW of capacity by way of a new gas turbine and a new steam turbine, bringing the plant’s total installed capacity to up to 710MW.
The guarantees of $74.6mn have been issued to Globeleq Holdings (Côte d’Ivoire) for its equity investments in Azito Energie Holdings, against the risk of breach of contract (BoC) by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.
The IFC served as the lead arranger and one of the lenders to the project alongside other DFIs.
MIGA’s executive vice president, Hiroshi Matano commented: “Amid rising concerns about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and stagnating FDI flows to Côte d’Ivoire, this transaction reflects an ongoing commitment by investors to ensure reliable and low-cost provision of electricity to consumers.”
Mike Scholey, Globeleq’s CEO and Azito Energie’s Board Chair, said: “This project will supply the cheapest electricity in the country, using the latest, most efficient technology.
Week 17 30•April•2020
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