Plans to establish South Africa's first new pumped storage scheme in the country after 25 years has moved ahead with Eskom awarding a R1.6-billion equipment contract this month.

South African power utility Eskom has awarded Voith Siemens Hydro Power Generation a €140-million (or R1.6-billion) contract to supply equipment to its Ingula pumped storage plant in the Drakensburg.

Voith Siemens Hydro said the contract, which was signed by the two parties at the beginning of September, calls for four 342MW pump-turbines, four motor-generators and the automation and control system for the plant.

Ingula pumped storage plant is being built close to the city of Ladysmith in KwaZulu Natal, a region contributing a major share to the country's electricity generation.

The Bedford Stream will serve as an upper reservoir and will be connected to the powerhouse by a headrace tunnel of around 2km length.

A tunnel of similar length will be built in the tailrace area to lead the water into a lower reservoir towards the Braamhoek River.

The plant is to be commissioned in 2013.

Turbine relief

Start of the Ingula's four pump-turbine units are expected to significantly contribute to South Africa's power grid stabilization by pumping water with excess electricity during low demand periods to the upper reservoir and releasing it from there again for peaking energy generation.

Ingula is the first new pumped storage scheme in South Africa after 25 years.

In 1983, Eskom had built and started the Palmiet pumped storage plant in the Western Cape Province.

Voith, which also supplied the pump-turbines and motor-generators for Palmiet, said its German and Japanese operating units would be joint partners on the contract to design and manufacture the equipment.

The pump-turbines are to be supplied from Germany and the motor- generators from Japan.

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