Utilities
• Solar power is coming to rural areas
Electricity
Eskom is South Africa’s national electricity utility, generating more than 95% of the country’s electricity supply. In 2007, Eskom reported that it supplied 1 400 megawatts of electricity to the Eastern Cape. Estimates are that with developments at the Coega and East London industrial development zones (IDZs), this figure will have to rise to closer to 5 000 megawatts. This increase can only be catered for through increased supply via power lines from Mpumalanga and increasing local generation capabilities.
That the Coega Development Corporation (CDC) is serious about generating its own power became clear when it announced in July 2009 that it was seeking a bidder for a R32-billion gas-turbine power plant to be located at the IDZ. The long-term goal is for this plant to produce 3 200 megawatts, but the first phase, to come on stream in 2012, will generate 500 megawatts.
Eskom has improved supplies to the province by completing the Beta substation near Bloemfontein and by upgrading some of the substations on the East Coast, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal. Eskom is also involved in bringing online smaller rural projects. Examples of these are at Port Alfred and Cannon Rocks.
A private company, KwaZulu Energy Services, is engaged in a project to roll out solar-power systems to about 30 000 Eastern Cape homes. Householders will pay a monthly subscription and a connection fee. The national Department of Energy is a partner in the project and German investment bank KfW is subsidising the purchasing of the project’s equipment.
Water
The Nelson Mandela Bay metropole gets its water from 10 dams, six of which are owned by the municipality. The Churchill and Impofu dams supply half the total supply. The municipality maintains about 3 000km of reticulation water mains and about 650km of bulk-water pipelines.
The company Hydro-Comp Enterprises is engaged in creating a water-infrastructure management system for the Nelson Mandela Bay metropole. This includes the installation of bulk meters but mostly involves data capturing and analysis. With sophisticated data analysis, the distribution of water can proceed more efficiently.
Similarly, the complexity of waste management has led to the metropolitan authorities to seek practical advice from international partners, such as the Swedish city of Gothenberg. Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality operates six wastewater treatment works.
In the province’s eastern regions, Amatola Water provides its biggest clients, Buffalo City Municipality and Amathole District Municipality, with a reliable supply of quality water. The region is well fed by rivers, with the area around the principal city of East London also being well served by a system of dams and tunnels.
ONLINE RESOURCES
Amatola Water: www.amatolawater.co.za
Eskom: www.eskom.co.za
National Department of Energy: www.dme.gov.za
National Department of Water Affairs: www.dwaf.gov.za
Water Institute of South Africa: www.wisa.org.za
