Eskom, the state-owned power utility, has released the names of four new power stations it plans to commission over the next five years.
“Power stations are given project code names during the planning phases, which include feasibility studies and environmental -impact assessments,” Eskom explained in a statement on Tuesday.
Once they have progressed sufficiently, they receive official names.
The four stations are: the 4 200mW project Alpha; the 1 330mW project Hotel; and the two 1 050mW gas-turbine stations in the Western Cape, collectively known as project OCGT.
Project Alpha, a coal-fired station located in the Lephalale area in the Limpopo province, will be named Medupi Power Station, meaning “the rain that soaked parched lands, giving economic relief”.
Project Hotel, a pump-storage scheme, will be called Ingula, alluding to the creamy contents at the top of the milk calabash.
The gas-turbine station in Atlantis in the Western Cape will be called Ankerlig, after the Afrikaans expression referring to a community that rises above the chains of poverty to experience growth and prosperity, according to Eskom.
The other gas-turbine station at Mossel Bay will be called Gourikwa Power Station, named after the ethnic group in the area of its location.
Eskom says it already plans to deliver an additional 1 050mW from the OCGTs, increasing total output to 2 100mW.
Previous naming techniques used included natural or man-made features prior to the Seventies.
In the next decade names of indigenous words relating to the generation of electricity were used. Eskom now uses independent researchers to identify names that reflect the cultural heritage of the areas where the power stations are situated.
The four stations form part of Eskom’s R150-billion capital-expenditure programme planned for the next five years. — I-Net Bridge