CURRENT PROJECT ACTIVITIES
The project is currently in the pre-construction phase, with arrange of activities currently underway and scheduled to be undertaken. Pre-construction activities include:
DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT COMPONENTS
The raw water conveyance infrastructure components of the project include:
32 km long at 3.5 m diameter transfer tunnel from the proposed Smithfield Dam reservoir to the uMlaza River valley.
5 km long at 2.6 m diameter raw water pipeline from the outlet portal of the transfer tunnel above to the proposed Umgeni Water’s Water Treatment Works in the uMlaza River valley
Potential hydropower plant
Access roads, maintenance/service roads and security fences – permanent and temporary
Borrow pits, quarries and waste (spoil) disposal sites
Acquisition of land and rights to land
Rehabilitation, biodiversity offsets and compensation.
ENVIRONMENTAL AUTHORISATION
The Environmental Authorization (EA) process for the uMWP-1 has been completed by Nemai Consulting. An amendment to the original environmental authorization, dated 19 November 2020, was received from the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment (DFFE) on 09 September 2021, DFFE Reference 14/12/16/3/3/3/94/1/AM2.
Interested and Affected Parties will be invited to provide input to further regulatory process documents (Water Use Licence, removal of protected tree species, etc.) and these will be made available throughout the course of the pre-construction phase.
1. Pre-construction: The technical studies,
detailed engineering designs and
environmental studies will be completed
towards the end of 2026.
PROJECT TIMEFRAMES
2. Construction: Construction is scheduled to
commence towards the end of 2027 and will
continue for approximately 5 years.
