Another power project proposal for Bay
YET another electricity-generating project is on the cards for Richards Bay – making it the fourth gas-to-power proposal in the city, destined to feed the national grid.
The latest applicant seeking the necessary environmental authorisations is a 2 800MW generation capacity project; the Nseleni Independent Floating Power Plant (NIFPP). As the name implies, this would also entail bringing in Liquefied Natural Gas for conversion to power via vessels within the Port of Richards Bay. This appears to be in direct competition with the previously announced Karpower project, which has a proposed design capacity of 554MW.
Also on the table are the 450MW emergency risk mitigation power plant in Alton and the 3 000MW (Eskom Holdings) Richards Bay Combined Cycle Power Plant.
The projects have been submitted in response to a 2019 Department of Mineral Resources and Energy RFI (Request for Information), asking energy suppliers to present options for the generation of additional energy for the national grid.
In addition, the Richards Bay Gas-toPower project, authorised in 2016 and located on IDZ Zone 1F (next to Richards Bay Alloys), is reportedly applying for Amendment of Authorisation and an Atmospheric Emission Licence.
Sustainable Environmental Solutions has been appointed by Anchor Energy (Pty)
Ltd, as an independent Environmental Assessment Practitioner. They will undertake the required applications for environmental authorisations for the proposed NIFPP and associated infrastructure in the
Port of Richards Bay.
Anchor Energy is an applicant for the proposed Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) receiving and storage facility and associated physical infrastructure.
Nseleni Power Corporation is the responsible party for the floating power plant and associated infrastructure, as well as for the evacuation of power from the NIFPP to the national grid.
The project would include a series of jetties, with concrete platforms on marine piles, and a series of berths occupied by floating Combined Cycle Gas Turbine power plants.
A transmission line will connect the NIFPP to the land-side high voltage transmission infrastructure.
It is planned to initially ship in four floating power barges, generating a nominal 700MW per barge. Thereafter, additional barges could take the combined power generation to as much as 8 400MW.
Some 220 000 tons of LNG would need to be delivered monthly, offloaded from supply vessels to floating storage units connected to the LNG terminal for regasification and delivery to the power barges.
The LNG is likely to be sourced from Angola.