Elitheni power station
| Part of the Global Coal Plant Tracker, a Global Energy Monitor project. |
| Related coal trackers: |
Elitheni power station is a cancelled power station in Indwe, Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Elitheni power station | Indwe, Eastern Cape, South Africa | -31.466, 27.333 (approximate) |
The map below shows the approximate location of the power station.
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | cancelled | coal - bituminous | 75 | subcritical | – | – |
| Unit 2 | cancelled | coal - bituminous | 75 | subcritical | – | – |
| Unit 3 | cancelled | coal - bituminous | 75 | subcritical | – | – |
| Unit 4 | cancelled | coal - bituminous | 75 | subcritical | – | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | IPSA Group [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | IPSA Group [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | IPSA Group [100.0%] |
| Unit 4 | IPSA Group [100.0%] |
Background
In 2008, IPSA Group agreed that it would develop a 250 megawatt (MW) power plant at Strategic Natural Resources’ (SNR) Elitheni mine mouth. The contract included a 20 million tonne off-take - with 1 million tonnes per year for 20 years.
In 2010, IPSA said it could not proceed with the coal plant due to set-backs relating to South Africa’s public utility group Eskom, which was delaying contracts for power generation.
SNR said it was exploring other options for the sale of coal from its 150 million tonne Elitheni mine, which had completed a feasibility study.[1]
In 2013, SNR CEO Gabriel Ruhan said the company would be advancing a power station plan at the mine in the following year.[2]
By 2015, SNR was sold and the Elitheni mine closed.[3] Plans for the coal plant are likely cancelled.
Molteno-Indiwe Coalfields
The Council of Geosciences and the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy are bringing the Molteno-Indiwe coalfields back into focus.
In November 2020, the Council of Geosciences noted that the extraction of Eastern Cape coal should be done in a “responsible” manner while furthering experimentation with “clean coal technology.” The organization’s chief executive, Mosa Mabuza, said: “I am proposing that we put up a power station there, extract this coal and turn it into gas, which is more climate change friendly, and generate electricity as a source of development.” The Aurecon Group found that the low-grade seam has become commercially attractive for power generation applications.[4]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "IPSA and Strategic Natural Resources terminate Elitheni power plant agreement," Proactive Investors, October 22, 2010
- ↑ "ANC boss, the Irish connection, and the hostile mine takeover," Dispatch Online, November 25, 2013
- ↑ "ContiCoal bid, would be great outcome," Miningmx, January 20, 2015
- ↑ "Govt wants to revive SA’s oldest coal mine – and says it can help generate clean power," Business Insider South Africa, November 4, 2020
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
