Power to the partnership

Eskom’s new Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme and its associated land has been formally declared a nature reserve, the power utility said yesterday.

The Ingula Nature Reserve was Eskom’s third nature reserve, following Koeberg and Majuba, all declared in terms of the National Environmental Management Protected Areas Act, Eskom said.

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme, located on the border of the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, was in operation to meet the demand for South Africa’s peaking electricity generating capacity.

“During the environmental impact assessment process in 1999, it was identified that the site selected for proposed construction housed many threatened species, including the critically endangered bird species the whitewinged flufftail, and an extensive wetland of over 2 500 hectares,” Eskom said.

“This discovery led some nongovernmental organisations calling for the scrapping of the plans to build the Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme in the area.

“Following closer investigation by all parties, it was identified that the habitat occupied by a number of the threatened species would not be affected by the construction of the dams, plant, and associated infrastructure.”

Eskom then entered into negotiations with the opposing NGOs – BirdLife South Africa and Middelpunt Wetland Trust – and there was a realisation that the environment as a whole would stand to gain more if Eskom and the NGOs were to work together on driving the environmental aspects of the project.

Eskom, BirdLife SA, and Middelpunt Wetland Trust then proposed to go into formal partnership to drive the considerations of the environmental authorisation, and the Ingula partnership was formed in 2003.

The Ingula Pumped Storage Scheme had been built in the high-altitude grassland ecosystem, a severely threatened system in South Africa with less than 2% under any formal protection.

“The area has over 350 bird species, three of which are critically endangered, and there is also an abundance of other wildlife including the threatened oribi, grey rhebok, and steenbok, making the site an incredibly vital biodiversity area for conservation.”

In addition, the area was on the continental watershed and was of significant importance as a source of water for the highveld, with over 2 500 hectares of wetlands that supply, filtrate, and clean the water throughout the year, further emphasising the importance of Ingula beyond just a power station, Eskom said.

Through the efforts of the partnership, it became clear to Eskom that good management of the land would lead to more and cleaner water being used in the storage scheme to generate power, while also contributing towards supplying valuable ecosystem services to communities. – ANA