Premier upbeat about R85bn smelter park

KWAZULU-NATAL premier Willies Mchunu said yesterday that he was confident that the R85 billion investment to build a smelter park would usher in a new era characterised by employment and prosperity in the province. The CS Smelter Park, an investment made through the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (Brics) business grouping of countries, was earmarked to develop a privately-owned coal-fired power station, which would be built in three phases of 300 megawatts each. Speaking during a sodturning ceremony marking the beginning of a construction of the CS Smelter Park in Colenso, Ladysmith, Mchunu said his government wanted the electricity supply sector to play a role in the provincial energy economy. Mchunu said Phase 1 of the CS Smelter Park project would attract foreign direct investment of about R39.1bn. – ANA