The Department of Energy (DoE) intends to build a floating power plant in the Port of Saldanha Bay to help meet South Africa’s electricity requirements.
Transnet will need to grant the rights to the port.
For this project, Transnet also plans to enable the development of liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facilities within the port to support the DoE’s gas-to-power programme.
This, according to the background information document on this project, recently made available by environmental consultants ERM.
The document describes floating power plants as special-purpose marine vessels which incorporate power generation equipment and only require a land based switchyard to distribute power. The proposed floating power plant project has both land-based (terrestrial) and marine-based components, including the following:
. Floating power plants which may be a power barge or a self-propelled power ship (marine);
. Mooring infrastructure in the form of anchors, dolphin structures and a piled temporary access jetty;
. Floating fuel storage facilities (marine);
. Connection of the fuel storage facility to the floating power plant for the transfer of liquid fuel/gas on board (marine);
. Underground or above-ground power lines connecting the floating power plant to a floating or terrestrial switchyard for the conversion of the power to a higher voltage (marine and terrestrial);
. Transmission line to Blouwater substation for distribution into the national power grid (terrestrial).
The floating power plant and LNG import facilities each require environmental authorisation through environmental impact assessments (EIAs) from the National Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) in terms of the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA).
Interested and affected parties must register with ERM to remain informed and give input during this phase.
ERM is holding an open house info session on 5 November at the Hoedjiesbaai Hotel in Saldanha from 13:00 till 19:00, and a presentation will be given at 17:00.
