Water, Sewage & Effluent January-February 2017 | Page 22

Eskom owns four large hydro plants , with one of the most significant being Vanderkloof ( 240MW ).

SA looks to retrofit for hydropower

As few suitable sites remain for the construction of new hydropower plants , government is thinking about retrofitting existing water infrastructure . By Martin Czernowalow

South Africa ’ s government is mulling over the generation of hydropower by retrofitting existing infrastructure — including big dams , water schemes and canals — as it seeks to bolster the renewable energy portion of the country ’ s energy mix .

This is according to a Department of Water and Sanitation draft sustainable hydropower generation policy , which was gazetted last year and forms part of the country ’ s efforts to cut its reliance on
20 Water Sewage & Effluent January / February 2017