The Lebalelo Water User Association (LWUA) has selected asset management company Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) as the preferred bidder to deliver a renewable-energy solution for the first stage of the Olifants Management Model Programme (OMMP), a significant water infrastructure development programme in Limpopo.

The OMMP, implemented by LWUA, is a public-private collaboration between government, led by the Department of Water and Sanitation (DWS), and the private sector, including several mining companies and industrial users.

While the OMMP started when the association signed the heads of terms for an OMM framework agreement with the DWS in March 2022, it was officially launched by former Water and Sanitation Minister Senzo Mchunu in October 2022, with the turning of the first sod at the Spitskop pump station in Steelpoort signalling the start of the construction of the project.

The programme aims to fast-track bulk raw and potable water supply infrastructure for communities and commercial users in Sekhukhune and Mogalakwena, optimise existing infrastructure and water supply from the De Hoop and Flag Boshielo dams in the Middle Olifants catchment, and enhance water supply to Polokwane local municipality, which faces a 30-million-litre-a-day water shortage.

The multiphase programme comprises the construction of 200 km of bulk raw water pipelines and 675 km of bulk potable water pipelines, along with several pump stations, reservoirs and water treatment works, expected to provide potable water to a yard connection for 140 communities, impacting about 390 000 people.

SPS’ solar PV and battery energy storage system (BESS) solution will provide power, for a period of 25 years, to key infrastructure that forms part of Phase 2B and 2B+ of the OMMP.

The solar energy capacity will start at 16 MWp for Phase 1, increasing over two further phases over the next ten years to 23 MWp in the final phase.

The BESS, with a capacity of 13.3 MWh, will ensure a reliable and sustainable power supply for the three pump stations under construction, each to be equipped with two 3.5 MW pumps.

The renewable-energy solution will provide all operational and auxiliary power to the three pump stations, as their current locations prevent connection to the grid.

The OMMP’s Phase 2B and 2B+ includes a new pipeline that will transport bulk raw water from the Flag Boshielo dam to reservoirs across the northern limb of the Bushveld Igneous Complex.

From there, 40% of the water will supply mines and 60% will be treated at water treatment plants in Mokopane and Sekuruwe, providing potable water to 140 000 community members and addressing Mokopane’s water shortfall.

Phase 2B and 2B+, which includes the renewable-energy solution and the construction of the bulk raw water pipelines, pump stations, reservoirs and two water treatment works on the Northern Limb, is expected to be completed within 28 months following the final contracting.

“SPS emerged as the successful bidder in a competitive tender process, showcasing their extensive expertise, flexibility and ability to tailor funding solutions. Their innovative approach to integrating renewable technologies and sustainable practices positions them uniquely to meet the energy needs of the association’s expansion into the northern limb through the OMMP,” says LWUA CEO Bertus Bierman.

SPS business developer Paul Rosenbrock says that the project is an “exciting pivot” for SPS.

“We are leveraging our renewable-energy expertise to make a tangible difference in communities that need it most. By supplying a renewable-energy solution that will pump bulk raw water into areas currently lacking access, we are not only supporting the mining sector but fundamentally improving the quality of life for thousands of people.”

In line with tender requirements, 1% of the project value will be allocated to socioeconomic development initiatives, which will ensure that local communities benefit directly from the investment through potable water, enterprise development, education and connectivity.

A key socioeconomic development initiative that forms part of the OMMP is the school upgrade programme, which provides modular infrastructure to schools across Limpopo to foster educational advancement.