Lethabo Power Station Maturation Pond Works
Project Details:
Client: ESKOM
Discipline: Environmental and Scientific Studies
Category: Energy
Location: Vereeniging, Free State
Key project Details: Waste Environmental Control Officer for the construction of the maturation pond as a filtration system for the disposed water from the power station.
Thero Services has taken on a pivotal role in South Africa's Environmental landscape through their appointment by ESKOM for Environmental services: Wetland Plant Species Plan and Waste Environmental Control Officer for the Maturation Pond in Lethabo Power station in the Vaal in Free State.
Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd appointed Thero Services to provide professional services to conduct a Wetland Plant Species Plan for the Lethabo Power Station located in Vereeniging, Free State Province. Lethabo Power Station was issued with a Water Use Licence (WUL 08/C22F/ABCGI/12312) on 28 October 2022 to rehabilitate the Emergency Offloading (EOL) Area. Prior to the commencement of the activity, the station is required to submit a Wetland Plant Species Plan to the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS). The Wetland Plant Species Plan presented herein aims to identify the plant species to be used in the revegetation process and outlines the suggested procedure and mitigation to be followed.
The Tswana word “Lethabo” was aptly chosen as the power station's name: it means “good living, happiness” and reflects the substantial contribution Eskom is making to enable South Africa to reach high standards in industrial, commercial, and social life. Lethabo Power Station is situated in the northern Free State at an altitude of 1 460 m, Lethabo lies approximately 10 km south of Vereeniging and 25 km east of Sasolburg. Construction of Lethabo Power Station started in 1980. The station comprises of six 618MW Production Units. A Production Unit consists of one boiler, a turbine, and a generator. Power is produced at 20kV and at 13.5kA and sent to a step-up transformer where the voltage is increased to 275kV for efficient transmission. The first set of Lethabo Power Station's six generating units went into commercial operation in December 1985. The last of the generating sets were commissioned in December 1990. A unique aspect of Lethabo is the unusually low grade and quality of coal that is burnt in the power generation process. Its proximity to the heart of the Vaal Triangle enables. Lethabo Power Station to feed energy into Eskom's 275 kV transmission network for distribution to its customers.