As South Africans still battle and try to find their way through the raging load shedding schedule implemented by Eskom, there seems to be an option to ease the devastation. A Norwegian company, Scatec SA, has announced the construction of a solar and battery-powered project in the Northern Cape.
The project, valued at R30 billion will definitely ease the burden on the embattled state-owned power generator.
Scatec unveiled the multi-billion rand project in the Kenhardt region and it is constructed under the Risk Mitigation Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (RMIPPPP) after reaching a financial close.
The move follows President Cyril Ramaphosa, Business Leadership SA, and the South African Wind Energy Association’s calls, urging priority uptake of renewable energy.
With Eskom supplying above 90% of electricity in South Africa, the company is now facing financial strain and it is finding it hard to sustain a steady power supply.
Scatec CEO Terje Pilskog said the project is unique and it shows their commitment to their partners.
“Achieving commercial and financial close for the Kenhardt project shows true commitment by our Scatec team and partners,” said Pilskog.
“This project is a first of its kind and will be one of the world’s largest solar and battery facilities.
“We are now looking forward to starting construction of this unique and exciting project, which will be a major contribution to South Africa’s economy and green energy sector.”
On the other hand, the general manager of Scatec Sub-Saharan Africa, Jan Fourie, emphasised the importance of procuring renewable energy.
“This is an important milestone in the procurement of renewable energy and proves that the sector can be relied upon to deliver much-needed electricity capacity to the grid,” he added.
Media reports indicate that after finishing the job, the company will be entitled to 51% ownership of the equity in the project, with H1 Holdings, a black economic empowerment partner, taking 49%.
According to ITWeb, the aim of the RMIPPPP is to fill the current short-term supply void and also alleviate the electricity supply constraints.
Image: Scatec SA/Twitter
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