Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme
Encyclopedia
Construction on the Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme started in 1974 and was completed by 1981.
Four dams are involved in the scheme; the Driekloof Dam
(a branch of the Sterkfontein Dam
), the Kilburn Dam
, the Woodstock Dam
and the Driel Barrage. Electricity generation equipment is located between Driekloof Dam
and Kilburn Dam
. Since the Driekloof Dam
/Sterkfontein Dam
also forms part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project some of the water pumped to Driekloof Dam
might end up flowing to the Vaal Dam
and not be available for return to the Kilburn Dam
. The Woodstock Dam
and Driel Barrage is used to supply this additional water to Kilburn Dam
when required.
The scheme provides for up to 27.6 GWh of electricity storage in the form of 27000000 cubic metre of water. The water is pumped to Driekloof during times of low national power consumption (generally over weekends) and released back into Kilburn through four 250 MW turbine generators in times of high electricity demand.
Four dams are involved in the scheme; the Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
(a branch of the Sterkfontein Dam
Sterkfontein Dam
The Sterkfontein Dam, located just outside the town of Harrismith, in the Free State, province of South Africa, is part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project, and located on the Nuwejaarspruit, in the upper catchment area of the Vaal River...
), the Kilburn Dam
Kilburn Dam
The Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
, the Woodstock Dam
Woodstock Dam
Woodstock Dam is located on the upper reaches of the Tugela, KwaZulu-Natal, province South Africa and is the main source of water for the Thukela-Vaal Transfer Scheme....
and the Driel Barrage. Electricity generation equipment is located between Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
and Kilburn Dam
Kilburn Dam
The Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
. Since the Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
/Sterkfontein Dam
Sterkfontein Dam
The Sterkfontein Dam, located just outside the town of Harrismith, in the Free State, province of South Africa, is part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project, and located on the Nuwejaarspruit, in the upper catchment area of the Vaal River...
also forms part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project some of the water pumped to Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam
Driekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
might end up flowing to the Vaal Dam
Vaal dam
The Vaal Dam in South Africa was constructed in 1938 and lies 77 km south of OR Tambo International Airport Formerly Jan Smuts Airport, then renamed Johannesburg International Airport in 1994, before being renamed yet again on 27th October 2006 as ORT. The lake behind the dam wall has a...
and not be available for return to the Kilburn Dam
Kilburn Dam
The Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
. The Woodstock Dam
Woodstock Dam
Woodstock Dam is located on the upper reaches of the Tugela, KwaZulu-Natal, province South Africa and is the main source of water for the Thukela-Vaal Transfer Scheme....
and Driel Barrage is used to supply this additional water to Kilburn Dam
Kilburn Dam
The Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
when required.
The scheme provides for up to 27.6 GWh of electricity storage in the form of 27000000 cubic metre of water. The water is pumped to Driekloof during times of low national power consumption (generally over weekends) and released back into Kilburn through four 250 MW turbine generators in times of high electricity demand.
See also
- EskomEskomEskom is a South African electricity public utility, established in 1923 as the Electricity Supply Commission by the government of South Africa in terms of the Electricity Act . It was also known by its Afrikaans name Elektrisiteitsvoorsieningskommissie . The two acronyms were combined in 1986 and...
- Driekloof DamDriekloof DamDriekloof Dam is a small section of the Sterkfontein Dam, Free State, South Africa. A section of the Sterkfontein Dam reservoir is isolated after the construction of Driekloof Dam, this small reservoir has a capacity of ., together with the Kilburn Dam almost 500 meters lower, Driekloof forms part...
- Kilburn DamKilburn DamThe Kilburn Dam, part of the Tugela-Vaal Water Project and Drakensberg Pumped Storage Scheme, is located lower than the Sterkfontein Dam, on the Mnjaneni River, near Bergville, KwaZulu-Natal, province of South Africa...
- Pumped-storage hydroelectricityPumped-storage hydroelectricityPumped-storage hydroelectricity is a type of hydroelectric power generation used by some power plants for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher elevation. Low-cost off-peak electric power is used to run the pumps...
- List of power stations in South Africa