Eskom has been asked to provide at least 1,000 MW of coal-fired electricity to a new Chinese-owned ferrochrome smelter, raising renewed concern about the sustainability of the government's water- and energy-intensive heavy industry plans in Limpopo.
To put this volume of electricity into perspective, 1,000 MW is equivalent to one stage of Eskom load shedding, or roughly 60% of the current maximum power demand of the city of Durban (1,600 MW). There are also indications that this power demand will rise significantly as the proposed Sino-South African metal cluster expands.
Responding to questions posed by Daily Maverick more than 10 months ago, the state energy company has now confirmed that it has received an application to provide electricity to the proposed Musina-Makhado Special Economic Zone (MMSEZ) and that despite 290 days of load shedding in 2023 and another 69 load shedding days last year, Eskom believes that it is now "fully capable of supporting the SEZ's development through a structured, phased approach".
Signed agreement
When Presidents Xi Jinping and Cyril Ramaphosa signed an agreement in Beijing in 2018 to prioritise a new duty-free special economic zone in Limpopo, the two governments spoke about building a major metal smelting hub...
