Work on a multibillion-rand hydro-electric plant in Limpopo will start in September, with completion scheduled for 2015, the Sekhukhune municipality announced on Thursday.
It forms part of Eskom’s capacity-expansion programme aimed at resolving the country’s energy shortages, municipal spokesperson Sizwe Yende said in a statement.
The starting date for construction was decided by Eskom, the Greater Sekhukhune district municipality and the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry on Wednesday, on completion of an environmental impact assessment, he said.
The plant will go online on completion of the R9-billion De Hoop Dam, at present being constructed at Ga-Magolego village near Burgersfort.
Yende said the project is expected to create 2 500 jobs.
”Greater Sekhukhune has a number of unelectrified villages that are set to benefit from this project,” he said.
Eskom and the municipality are now establishing a forum to drive the project and putting in place a technical team to formulate a charter for the development of economic empowerment. The charter will ensure that local residents fully participate in the project and reap its economic benefits.
The new dam will provide much-needed water for industrial and agricultural development in the area, households and the construction of houses, said Yende. — Sapa