Govt approves R2.1bn water project
David Masango
7 October 2004
The Cabinet on Wednesday approved the construction of a R2.1-billion water project that will pump water from the Vaal Dam to an existing water supply infrastructure near Secunda in Mpumalanga, the department of Water and Forestry said.
This would ensure the availability of water for power generation, the synthetic fuel industry and other urban and industrial users until 2030, said Water and Forestry minister Buyi Sonjica.
"The Eastern Highveld of Mpumalanga is the energy hub of the country. It has extensive coal reserves which fuel both Eskom's power stations and the huge SASOL oil-from-coal plants. These industries need reliable water supplies," said Sonjica.
"The existing network needs to be expanded to support the planned growth of both industries. Both Eskom and Sasol have indicated that large quantities of water are required within a short time horizon to support the electricity generating, mining and related socio-economic
developments in the area.
"The most feasible option for augmenting the available resources is to transfer water from the Vaal Dam," Sonjica said.
She said the projected demand for electricity had indicated that all power stations would soon be required to operate at full capacity in order to meet the country's requirements.
She said the capital cost of the new infrastructure was estimated at R2.1-billion, excluding value-added tax.
"Most of this will be recovered from Eskom, Sasol and other economic users, whilst the portion associated with social services will be funded by the National Treasury," she added.
This project is part of the department's investment programme to ensure that economic infrastructure keeps up with the demands of South Africa's growing economy. It will be implemented and financed with the assistance of the Trans Caledon Tunnel Authority, which promoted South Africa’s share of the Lesotho Highlands Water Project.
Source: Department of Water Affairs and Forestry website
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