
Shumba plant (Source Artists Impression from Norconsult)
Shumba Coal says it has concluded power station design and selection studies which were accompanied by preliminary financial modelling. Clean Coal Technologies have been used in the design to ensure that World Bank emission standards are met by the Power Station.
These studies are a follow on from the power transmission scoping study into transmission solutions describing options available to export power from the Sechaba Energy Project (“SEP”), to be sited on Shumba Coal’s Sechaba thermal coal resource, into the region, which was concluded earlier in the year.
The company said it is the process of developing a 300MW coal fired power plant (SEP). The power plant will be strategically located in relatively close proximity to the A1 national road and other important infrastructure, such as a railway line and 400kV substation for possible integration.
“The company engaged global energy infrastructure engineering leaders, Parsons Brinckerhoff (Power), to provide conceptual studies for the proposed coal fired power plant development addressing site, boiler technology and plant configuration assessment, limestone consumption assessment and conceptual design and description of the power plant based on the preferred boiler technology and configuration,” Shumba said.
Based on the study, the power plant is envisaged to be configured as a 2 x 150MW CFB coal fired power plant. The configuration was chosen as the preferred configuration primarily due to suitability of unit size to the Botswana grid and redundancy offered by the configuration. Furthermore, the power plant is expected to consist of a subcritical non-reheat steam turbine with dry air cooled condenser technology.
SOx control will be achieved by in-situ SOx capture by limestone dosing in the boiler furnace. Particulate matter control will be achieved with Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs). NOx control is achieved inherently in CFB boilers by virtue of their low operating furnace temperatures.
In addition to Parsons Brinckerhoff, CRESCO Project Finance conducted the power station financial modelling and Norconsult which is an interdisciplinary engineering and design consultancy, provided specialist inputs into the studies. “The Directors believe that this is an excellent outcome as it provides further support for the development of the Sechaba Energy Project as a low cost producer of power for consumption in the region.”