Page 22 - Energize June 2021

NEWS

Winning bid brings progressive renewable energy plan to SA

enewable energy power producer hybrid plant,” he adds. portfolio of six utility scale solar PV sites
Scatec has announced the awarding The initiative will consist of solar and operations, including the Kalkbult
Rof their bids to supply South Africa arrays totalling 540 MW, all situated at the plant in the Northern Cape (the first utility
with 150 MW of dispatchable power same site in the sunny Northern Cape. scale solar plant in SA), as well as the
through the use of renewable energy. Each project will be capable of recently completed 258 MW Upington
The bid has been awarded as part of generating 50 MW of dispatchable power Solar Complex.
the national Risk Mitigation Independent (or contracted capacity, in RMIPPPP terms) “We are proud to be the country’s
Power Procurement Plan (RMIPPP) by the and will be co-located with cutting-edge leading supplier of solar power, with an
Department of Mineral Resources and energy storage technology plants using array of plants and projects totalling at 448
Energy (DMRE). It represents government’s lithium-ion batteries, in aggregate having MW of renewable energy,” says Fourie.
response to the current energy crisis, in a capacity of 1,1 GWh, allowing for an The call for bids has attracted power
which power shortfalls have threatened to unprecedented level of output control and industry heavyweights who will collectively
bring the country’s economy to its knees. dispatchability. supply a grand total of 2 GW of electricity
Unlike its predecessors, the RMIPPP is The site has been overly capacitated by July 2022, in order to reduce the impact
a progressive, energy-agnostic scheme to generate agreed upon power even in of load shedding on the national economy
and therefore not prescriptive when it the lowest performing solar months – with in a timeous manner.
comes to power generation technology, 22 years of hourly historical data being Fourie says that the bid comes at a
but rather focused on technical outputs, studied to ensure optimal performance. crucial time in the energy-landscape where
driven by power system requirements. Together, they will meet the requirement renewables are poised to become more
On that basis, Scatec opted to present to be dispatchable, according to market cost-effective than ever before, and in
solar-plus-battery-only bids, going toe- needs, and be fully dispatchable daily from which many global fossil-fuel giants are
to-toe with fossil fuels and other hybrid 05h00 to 21h30. now pivoting their efforts and resources
configurations. Scatec’s bids are the only “Totalling an impressive output towards renewables.
renewable energy-only bids awarded capacity of 150 MW of clean, dispatchable Scatec’s bid is based on renewables,
in this tender process – showcasing power, the projects will play a major role innovative battery, and storage
the company at the forefront of future- in closing the energy gap in South Africa technologies alone, and represent an
oriented power delivery in South Africa. and mitigating the threat of continued appreciable contribution towards South
The plan aligns with government’s load shedding in coming years. These Africa’s cleaner energy goals – part of a
2019 Integrated Resource Plan – a living bids will also contribute large amounts broader global effort to reduce carbon
document which articulates South Africa’s of skilled and unskilled jobs to the South emissions and ameliorate global warming
envisioned transition to a cleaner, mixed African economy during the construction – as outlined in the IRP.
energy supply, with greater emphasis on phase, and generate substantial long-term “Our work demonstrates a
renewable power. employment going forward,” says Fourie. commitment to a brighter, greener future
Jan Fourie, Scatec’s General Manager Scatec, which is present on four globally, and stands as an important
for sub-Saharan Africa, proudly states that continents and headquartered in Norway, testament to the fact that renewables are
the project site will house over 2 million bring global experience in a diverse range now fully dispatchable and can compete
individual solar panels, reach roughly 10 of renewable power generation projects, in the market against traditional, less
km from end to end and will require a total having been active in the South African sustainable energy resources,” Fourie says.
capital expenditure of around US$1-billion. market since 2010.
“To our knowledge, this may well be the Based in Cape Town, the local Contact Martin Slabbert,
world’s largest solar and battery storage company operates and manages a Tel 079 500-1503, martin@hwb.co.za

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