Times Of Swaziland: USL’S E1.5BN COGENERATION PLANT TO ADD 141GWH

USL’S E1.5BN COGENERATION PLANT TO ADD 141GWH
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Nhlanganiso Mkhonta on 08/01/2025 07:38:00


MBABANE – The proposed Ubombo Sugar Limited (USL) E1.5 billion cogeneration
power plant will increase electricity production and export to Eswatini
Electricity Company (EEC) up to 141 gigawatt hours (GWh).
The proposed project site for the cogeneration power plant is located within the
boundaries of the Ubombo Sugar Factory, which is located in Big Bend,
approximately 60 km north of the South African and Eswatini Border; Lavumisa
Border Post. The proposed cogeneration power plant is planned to be built within
the boundaries of the sugar factory and is approximately 5 000 m². USL owns
this land. The new, approximately 3km, 66 kV powerline is proposed for areas
that have already been mostly transformed by agricultural activities or
urbanisation.
The company has published its environmental evaluation and comprehensive
mitigation plan outlining the benefits of the projects, among other
things.Approximately 600 job opportunities will be created during the
construction phase of 24 months. This will have a positive impact on the
livelihoods of those employed.
Positions
Indirectly, the influx of construction workers could also open avenues for other
businesses to generate additional income by means of supplying necessities.
During operation, no job losses are expected. Should positions become redundant,
training will be provided to such employees to place them in other suitable
positions within the company. The Associated British Foods (ABF), the parent
company of USL, has made the substantial investment of E1.5 billion into a power
cogeneration project in Eswatini. This investment aims to increase USL’s power
export capacity to the national grid from 17 megawatts (MW) to 40 MW. The
project is expected to be commissioned by April 2027, showcasing government’s
commitment to enhancing energy security through increased private-sector
participation.
USL is currently the only private power producer exporting to EEC. The company
has been in operation since 1952 and is operating for approximately 34 weeks per
year, where electricity is also generated through the cogeneration process. USL
is currently exporting approximately 16 MW to EEC, which accounts for
approximately 10 per cent of Eswatini’s electricity production. Cogeneration
in a sugar factory makes use of bagasse as a fuel source, which is the fibrous
residue that remains after the sugar cane has been crushed.
Conditions
The powerhouse is already established and operates six boilers and five
turbines, which generate 35 MW under normal conditions, where the factory uses
approximately 14.5 MW of this electricity to operate the mill. Approximately
20.5 MW is then exported for agricultural use (between 5 MW and 12 MW), while
the excess load is exported to EEC through a PPA (between 8.5 MW and 15.5 MW).
The significant expansion of irrigation and the opening up of new land to sugar
cane production are therefore key drivers of Ubombo Sugar’s cogeneration power
project. The mill will crush and process the volumes of cane efficiently and
changes to the power generation process will increase the electricity generation
capacity of the cogeneration power plant, to ensure that 141 GWh of electricity
is available for export. Paul Kenward, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ABF,
recently visited the country where he met the Prime Minister, Russell Mmiso
Dlamini. During the visit, Dlamini acknowledged an additional investment of E1.3
billion aimed at expanding mill capacity to process sugar cane from the Lower
Usuthu Smallholder Irrigation Project (LUSIP) development.This expansion is
anticipated to benefit numerous smallholder cane growers and create employment
opportunities within the value chain.Moreover, the PM appreciated Ubombo
Sugar’s ongoing investments in health and education facilities in the Big Bend
area, highlighting their commitment to community development.
Operations
It is worth noting that ABF Sugar is the largest sugar cane producer in Africa
and has operations in South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Eswatini, Tanzania and
Mozambique. ABF Sugar produces raw and refined sugar from sugar cane supplied by
its own farms and independent outgrowers. ABF Sugar in Africa also has vast
experience in the cogeneration of electrical power from bagasse, as it operates
40 bagasse-fired boilers around Africa, generating high-pressure steam by
consuming approximately 4–4.5 million tonnes of bagasse per annum, which
drives 33 power generation steam-driven turbo alternator (TA) sets. The combined
power generation capacity of the Africa operations is 169 MW, generating over 60
per cent of the companies’ own electrical requirements. Across the group,
surplus power is exported to non-estate consumers and national power utilities.