South Africa, 7 October 2023 - The South African Department of Energy (DOE) has announced the successful signing of key PV cable agreements for two wind and solar power plant projects approved at the end of August last year, paving the way for a clean energy future for South Africa. The projects will have a capacity of 128 MW and 75 MW respectively and will be equipped with battery storage systems to ensure a reliable power supply.
In a statement, South Africa's Department of Energy said, "The project must fulfil the conditions precedent for the signing of a financial agreement by December 2023 and commence construction of the project. The new power capacity is expected to be operational in 2025."
The two projects were selected under the 2 GW technology-neutral tender (RMIPPPP), which was completed in March 2021, and are designed to respond to South Africa's growing electricity demand and lack of power supply to the mining industry.
The South African Department of Energy said that only five selected projects have been approved, one of which is the Oya Energy Hybrid Facility, which will be built in Majestic Fontaine in the Western Cape. The project, led by GDF International SA, G7 Power, Meadows Oya Energy and Perpetua RMI4P Oya, aims to utilise wind and solar resources to provide clean energy to South Africa.
The second project is the Umoyilanga Energy Facility, located in Evandale in the Northern Cape and Dasirich in the Eastern Cape. Owned and managed by French company EDF and German investment company Perpetua Holdings, the projects also have strong wind and solar power generation capacity.
At the heart of both projects is photovoltaic cable technology, which will draw on solar and wind resources, as well as advanced battery storage systems, to provide South Africa with reliable, sustainable and clean electricity. The Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will be overseen by the relevant Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and South Africa's national power utility, Eskom, to ensure an efficient and stable power supply.
The South African government announced in 2021 that the winning bidder will receive approximately 60 per cent of the capacity to be sold under the RMIPPPP, which includes a number of renewable energy projects such as solar, wind and storage projects. With an average price of approximately €77.87/MWh, these projects offer an economically viable option for South Africa's sustainable energy transition.
South Africa's solar panel cable projects will provide the country with a cleaner electricity supply and are expected to make a positive contribution to future economic growth and environmental protection. With the progressive implementation of these two wind and solar power plant projects, South Africa is moving towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy future.
