Rand Water to build hydro-electric power station on Vaal River

Rand Water intends on building a hydro-electric power station on the highly-sensitive Vaal River Barrage ecosystem – joining a growing number of corporates in the region looking at energy independence from an ailing and unreliable Eskom.

Rand Water has not yet revealed the exact intended purposing and other key data relating to a hydro-station on one of South Africa’s most strategic and environmentally-sensitive polluted rivers.

But Vaal civil society and environmental groups expressed surprise at the move, saying neither they or other major Interested and Affected Parties (IAP) such as river property owners had been consulted yet.

Once completed, the Vaal hydro-power (meaning water used to generate electricity) facility would be the eighth hydro-electric power station in South Africa, with seven already operated by Eskom itself, according to internet sources.

There will have to be an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and both SAVE (SAVE) and River Property Owners would be Interested and Affected Parties.

“We will be requesting more information on this project soonest,” said Maureen Stewart of Save the Vaal Environment (SAVE).

The Emfuleni Local  Municipality (ELM) welcomed the move, saying projects which created jobs in the region were to be welcomed.

Several large companies in the Vaal region, a major industrial centre within South Africa’s primary industrial hub of Gauteng Province, are known to be exploring Independent Power Production (IPP), for both profit and reducing reliance on Eskom.

Rand Water is also the implementing agent for the R7 billion Vaal River sewage pollution and water waste infrastructure refurbishment clean-up programme, which has been slow to gain traction with major community opposition.

Rand Water published tender documents for the intended hydro-electric facility on 18 October 2022 with a closing date of 29 November 2022. Inquiries made to Rand Water this week have not yet been answered.

According to the published document, 26 October 2022 was the site viewing date.

The tender document reads: Design, Manufacture, Supply, Delivery, Installation, Test, Commission, Operate and Maintain a Hydropower Plant at Vaal Barrage.

Article by Craig Kotze and originally appeared in the Vaalweekblad