Green Light for Sekhukhune Power Station

THE construction of a hydro-electricity power station in Greater Sekhukhune district has the green light following the approval of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study.

Delegations from power utility, Eskom, Greater Sekhukhune District Municipality (GSDM) and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) met on March 12 to discuss issues around the construction of the station.

All the parties agreed that the project would be launched in September this year and will run until 2015.

This multi-billion rand project is expected to create 2 500 job opportunities during its seven-year construction phase.

The hydro-electricity power station will start functioning after the completion of the R9-billion De Hoop Dam, which is presently being constructed at Ma-Seven (Ga-Magolego) village near Burgersfort.

It is also part of Eskom’s Capacity Expansion Programme, which aims to resolve the energy shortages that South Africa is currently facing.

Greater Sekhukhune has a number of un-electrified villages that are set to benefit from this project.

Following the meeting, Eskom and GSDM are in the process of:

• Establishing a forum to drive the whole project.

• Putting in place a technical team to formulate a Development of Economic

Empowerment Charter that aims to ensure that locals participate fully in the project and reap its economic benefits.

The whole project will take into consideration the objectives of the Provincial Growth and Development Strategy (PGDS) and GSDM’s 2025 Development Strategy, which are both aiming to optimally unleash the economic potential of both Limpopo and Greater Sekhukhune District.

The construction of the De Hoop Dam is also going to give rise to other economic spin-offs in Sekhukhune such as:

• Providing a much-needed water source for industrial and agricultural development as well as household use.

• Development of a holiday resort in its vicinity, which will driven by the proposed Sekhukhune Development Agency (Seda).

Also, arising from the hydro-electricity power station will be the construction of houses in nearby villages.

Such housing developments will see a total 118 two and three bedroom mobile homes being set up in Roosenekal, and construction of 36 three-bedroom permanent homes.

The construction village will have a total of 150 three-bedroom permanent homes.
Eskom is in the process of finding a name for the power station, according to guidelines of the Geographical Names Council.