The repurposing of Komati Power Station will be funded by a 497 million dollar concessional loan from the World Bank, according to South Africa’s Eskom power company.
Eskom, which announced earlier this week that the Komati Power Station, which has been in service since 1961, is shutting down and would be repowered and repurposed, said the loan will be guaranteed by the national treasury.
According to Mpho Makwana, chairperson of the Eskom board, “this is a significant development for South Africa’s just energy transition to renewable energy as it brings the much-needed funding to enable Eskom to train its employees and members of the host communities to empower them to continue playing a central role in the provision of clean energy for the country.”
The loan would be used for decommissioning of the power station, repurposing and repowering of the station and other elements of the just energy transition, according to Makwana.
Eskom said the first phase of the repurposing will install 150MW of photovoltaic, 70MW wind generating capacity, 150MW of battery energy storage system and synchronous condense.
