Tender for 3 MW in-pipe hydropower scheme in South Africa to be issued

Posted on : Friday , 9th October 2015

Tender for the 3 MW in-pipe hydropower scheme in South Africa is set to be issued by Johannesburg city, Johannesburg Executive mayor Parks Tau who first mooted the scheme has announced.

Its cost competitiveness is likely to challenge Eskom’s Megaflex tariff.

Mr Tau announced the progress during the Association of Municipal Electricity Utilities conference assuring attendants  the city’s intention of harnessing energy from its water network through the installation of in-pipe turbines.
According to the MD of City Power, Sicelo Xulu, the preliminary design work on the 3MW in-pipe hydropower scheme in South Africa had been carried out and they were hopeful that the first 3MW of in-pipe power would be introduced in the beginning of 2016. It is anticipated that over the years, 10MW of electricity would be gotten from the bulk water network.

Xulu also noted that they had done a site visit and met the National Energy Regulator of South Africa to make sure that they were in a position to get a license for the generation of electricity through the in-pipe turbines.

This form of electricity supply was first pioneered in Portland, Oregon in the US  after Portland General Electric entered into a 20 year power purchase agreement to buy the electricity produced from turbines installed in the water pipelines.

Tau also indicated that the method of in-pipe technology had been pursued because of its cost competitiveness.
Johannesburg was keen to use this method as a result of the failing solar photovoltaic costs.