Lubhuku power station
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Lubhuku power station is a power station in the pre-permit stage in Mpaka, Lubombo district, Lubombo, Eswatini. It is also known as Lubhuku thermal power plant.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Lubhuku power station | Mpaka, Lubombo district, Lubombo, Eswatini | -26.42761, 31.80487 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3: -26.42761, 31.80487
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | pre-permit | coal - bituminous | 100 | subcritical | 2026[1] | – |
| Unit 2 | pre-permit | coal - bituminous | 100 | subcritical | 2026[1] | – |
| Unit 3 | pre-permit | coal - bituminous | 100 | subcritical | 2026[1] | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 1 | to be determined [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | to be determined [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | to be determined [100.0%] |
Project-level coal details
- Coal source(s): Mpaka 3 coal mine
Background
A 2016 Swaziland "Sustainable Energy for All" (SE4ALL) agenda and investment prospectus included plans for a 300 MW coal power plant in Lubhuku, Mpaka, noting an expected commissioning year of 2022. The status of the investment opportunity was described as follows: "Coal prospecting to be completed with full report within 2nd quarter 2016; Preliminary result reveal enough coal reserves to warrant full feasibility study; Laboratory tests conducted."[2]
In 2018, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy launched the Eswatini Energy Masterplan 2020-2035, which also included plans for the 300 MW project. Coal would be sourced from the nearby region. The 300 MW power plant project was proposed to be implemented in two phases, consisting of two 100 MW generators in phase I and one 100 MW in phase II. A feasibility study was released in 2020.[3]
In August 2021, it was reported that the Mpaka power station (Canham Mining International) was a "non-starter" four years later "due to the COVID-19 pandemic." However, the article may have actually been referencing the Lubhuku power station. It noted, without referencing any sources, that "due to the COVID-19 restrictions, it has not been possible for the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA) to consult the over 3 000 residents of that area as another step on the assessment."[4]
Possible status updates come from a Tweet thread from the verified Eswatini Government's Twitter account, quoting the Minister of Natural Resources & Energy Peter Bhembe as he spoke to the board of the Eswatini Electric Company (EEC): "The [thermal power plant at Lubhuku] will ensure self-sufficiency and boost the country’s economy through job creation in the power, mining & other economic sectors such as transport & other services. Government relies on the EEC to ensure that this project is realized by 2026".[5]
As of May 2022, the Eswatini Electric Company's website still reads: "EEC has committed funds towards this project and is currently procuring the consulting form that will undertake the feasibility study. The revised project plan, indicates that the project will be completed in November 2019."[6] An article published in March of 2022 criticizes the power authority for their lack of transparency on the project, given the relative urgency in finding new sources of electrification in the country. The article notes that "Eswatini must be very worried about our electricity supply come 2025".[7]
According to July 2022 reporting, the government of Eswatini was still planning to develop the project. King Mswati III stated that the country recognized the global movement away from coal and was seeking to maximize energy generation from renewable sources. However, energy security and reliability was a concern, and increased domestic energy generation was an urgent need before their import contract with South African utility Eskom expired. The project had moved from the feasibility stage into the design stage, but budget estimates indicated that the project would not move forward within the financial year. The communications officer for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy said that updates on the project's status would come "in due course".[8]
EEC's 2022 Annual Report referred to "the thermal power project that is required to provide baseload supply and is estimated to cost about E16 billion. EEC will approach the shareholder for assistance regarding the funding of these important projects."[9]
An article from April 2023 reported that the outgoing EEC Board Chairman referred to "pending plans" for a coal-fired power plant, and "EEC continues to explore the coal-fired thermal plant whose implementation would take a phased approach and currently this project was under development with a plan to commercialise in 2026."[10] It was presumed that this was referring to the Lubhuku power station and not the Mpaka power station.
The EEC's 2023 Integrated Annual Report, published in October 2023, referred to a coal-fired power plant undergoing "additional feasibility studies."[11] This was presumably the Lubhuku power station.
Financing
According to EEC's (outdated) website, Phase 1 of the project entails the construction of 2x100MW at total investment cost of US$684.32 and the EEC is expected to contribute 10% equity to the project funding.[12]
EEC’s 2022 Annual Report referred to "the thermal power project that is required to provide baseload supply and is estimated to cost about E16 billion. EEC will approach the shareholder for assistance regarding the funding of these important projects."[9]
Opposition
The Eswatini Climate Coalition critiqued the official "Background Information Document" for the project in November 2020.[13]
The government’s plan to build the coal units has met pushback from the Eswatini community. For example, the following groups created a petition to demand 100% renewable energy instead:[14][15]
- Eswatini Climate Coalition (ECCo)
- Foundation For Socio Economic Justice - FSEJ Swaziland
- International Research Academy for Labour and Education - IRALE
- Swaziland Rural Women’s Assembly
A late 2021 article in Times of Eswatini highlights growing concerns coming from the residents of Lubhuku surrounding the coal project. Among other reasons, a major concern is the large volume of water from the "barely adequate" Mbuluzi River that the proposed power station would use. Following the initial feasibility study, recommendations and scrutiny were sent to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy by the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA). As of the publishing of this article, the EEA Communications Officer said that the Ministry had not yet resubmitted. Should the project proceed, neighboring communities will face "severe risk" from the emissions, water scarcity, and revival of the nearby coal mine.[16]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "'Keep the lights on'". Eswatini Observer. 2023-04-26. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ↑ "Kingdom of Swaziland Sustainable Energy for All, Investment Prospectus," July 2016
- ↑ "Feasibility Study," FirstEnviro, 2020
- ↑ "COVID-19 stalls 500MW coal plant worth $800m," SA Shares, August 11, 2021
- ↑ "Eswatini Government," @EswatiniGovern1, April 8, 2021
- ↑ "EEC Planned Major Capital Projects," Eswatini Electric Company, Retrieved May 31, 2022
- ↑ "ESKOM LIGHTS OUT 2025," Times of Swaziland, March 29, 2022
- ↑ "Load-shedding starts, is Lubhuku the solution?," Times of Eswatini, July 3, 2022
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Integrated Annual Report 2022," Eswatini Electricity Company, 2022
- ↑ "'Keep the Lights On'," Eswatini Observer, April 26, 2023
- ↑ "Integrated Annual Report 2023," Eswatini Electricity Company, October 2023
- ↑ "GENERATION EXPANSION PROJECTS, EEC". /www.eec.co.sz. unknown. Retrieved March 2024.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=and|date=(help)CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ↑ "What’s wrong with the proposed Lubhuku Coal Power Plant?," Blog Bost, November 5, 2020
- ↑ "Is coal the right move for Eswatini’s Energy Masterplan?," The Vegan Review, January 4, 2021
- ↑ "Stop the Lubhuku Coal Power Plant NOW!," change.org, accessed December 2021
- ↑ "Concerns Over Thermal Power Plant," Times of Eswatini, November 15, 2021
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.
