Komati community wants coal-powered plants back at decommissioned Eskom plant

The community of Komati has appealed to Eskom to reconsider its decision to repurpose the station into a green energy plant.

This happened on Tuesday when the community was briefed about looming training opportunities to arm them with important skills. Locals fear not everyone will be accommodated in this plan.

The community was more interested in whether there was a possibility of returning some of the coal-powered units to service, and if they would be paid a stipend during the training.

Eskom officials were in Komati to brief the community on progress in the much-anticipated repurposing project of one of its oldest power stations, which will be turned into a green energy plant.

Local councillor Edward Nyambi said the community also raised concerns about how the decommissioning of Komati had been conducted as only contractors at the station were consulted.

“Officials from Eskom did not have answers for the community. All they said was that they were noting concerns which would be sent to the decisionmakers at the head office in Megawatt Park,” Nyambi said.

The whole community wants five boilers (units) back at Komati ... we don’t want just solar. If they don’t bring coal, we will not allow them to go ahead with solar.

—  Carlos Vilankulu, community leader and project liaison officer 

He said community members also told Eskom officials they wouldn’t allow the demolition of the cooling towers as they believe coal is part of the future of the station because the area has the fossil fuel in abundance.

“People expressed their frustrations about how their lives were negatively impacted by decisions Eskom took without involving or consulting them,” he said.

The meeting follows a Sunday Times report about despair and frustration gripping the community, as little has happened since the Komati power station was decommissioned last October.

A visit to the area last week revealed a number of “house for sale” signs and empty streets, despite being the pilot site for South Africa’s just energy transition project.

Eskom said it had experienced “challenges in securing funding” for the project to repurpose and repower the station.

It said a $497m (about R8.8bn) loan facility, granted at rates lower than those of commercial banks, was approved by the World Bank board in November 2022 and by the Eskom board in February 2023, but was awaiting other approvals.

Community leader and project liaison officer Carlos Vilankulu, who also attended the meeting, said many were disappointed to know there wouldn’t be any payment during the training, which is expected to start in the next few weeks.

“As a community we want serious training, not these two-week courses. The only serious training they promised us is for welding ... we want skills that our people, even if they don’t get appointed by Eskom, will still be able to use elsewhere,” Vilankulu said.

He said the “community spoke in one voice” in demanding that Eskom should do away with the idea of eradicating coal as part of the energy mix at Komati.

“The whole community wants five boilers [units] back at Komati ... We don’t want just solar. If they don’t bring coal, we will not allow them to go ahead with solar,” Vilankulu said.

The community was told that the upcoming training will only accommodate 600 people, but it was unclear how many would be from the community.

However, according to Eskom’s training plans for Komati, about 200 people will be from the community.

“The questions we asked were around what would happen after five years as the initial jobs will take two to five years only,” Vilankulu said.

He said the community was not happy as the meeting “was not an engagement but rather an information sharing of what Eskom has decided”.

“One community member raised concerns about finding himself facing poverty, despite having worked at the plant for 12 years. He appealed to Eskom to find a way to assist him as he’s unable to feed his family,” Vilankulu said.