Richards Bay Mill power station
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Richards Bay Mill power station is an operating power station of at least 72-megawatts (MW) in Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Richards Bay Mill power station | Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | -28.76208, 31.99352 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 1, Unit 2: -28.76208, 31.99352
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | operating | coal: unknown, bioenergy: wood & other biomass (solids), bioenergy: unknown | 38 | subcritical | 1984 |
| Unit 2 | operating | coal: unknown, bioenergy: wood & other biomass (solids), bioenergy: unknown | 34.3 | subcritical | 1984 |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner | Parent |
|---|---|---|
| Unit 1 | Mondi South Africa Pty Ltd [100%] | Mondi PLC [100.0%] |
| Unit 2 | Mondi South Africa Pty Ltd [100%] | Mondi PLC [100.0%] |
Project-level captive use details
- Captive industry: Pulp & Paper
Background
Mondi’s Richards Bay Mill was commissioned in 1984 and produces two key products: Baycel, a premier grade bleached hardwood pulp made from eucalyptus fibre, and Baywhite, a white top kraft linerboard.[1]
According to a 2010 document prepared for a United Nations-run carbon offset scheme, the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), the mill operates at least one co-fired coal and biomass boiler which generates heat and electricity for the production of pulp and linerboard. The boiler reportedly operates or operated below its designed capacity in terms of biomass utilization. A CDM biomass project was proposed to extend boiler operations to better utilize biomass waste as an alternative fuel to coal.[2]
In addition to the co-firing coal units estimated at 72 MW capacity, Richards Bay Mill appears to operate an approximately 27 MW gas-fired unit commissioned in 2006 and 47 MW pulping liquor-fired unit commissioned in 2014.[3][4]
In August 2022, Mondi Group reported "good operational performance" at the power station following the successful repair of a boiler.[5]
In July 2024, Mondi launched a tender for independent power producers to build and operate solar power plants up to 10 MW at the Richards Bay Mill site.[6]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ “Welcome to Mondi Richards Bay,” Mondi, accessed June 8, 2021
- ↑ “Project 0966 : Mondi Richards Bay Biomass Project,” CDM UNFCCC, accepted July 30, 2010
- ↑ "Mondi invests in new 47 MW steam turbine at its Richards Bay mill in South Africa," RISI Technology Channels, August 20, 2012
- ↑ “World Electric Power Plants Database,” S&P Global Platts, accessed June 2021 (purchase required)
- ↑ “2022 Half Year Results Presentation,” Mondi Group, August 4, 2022
- ↑ “Mondi launches tender for solar power at Richards Bay plant,” Engineering News, July 19, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
