Eskom signs PPAs for 417 MW of new solar PV

• 10 years ago (2013-05-15)
• Junior Isles

Africa 303 Renewables 752

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Utility giant Eskom, which provides 95 per cent of South Africa's electricity, has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) for nine solar PV projects, worth a combined 417.1 MW, as part of the second phase of the country’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPP).

The nine solar PV projects are among 19 renewable energy projects approved under REIPPP’s second window, which closed last week. This phase is projected to inject an additional 1044 MW into the national grid in total.

The projects included under the agreement are Solar Capital De Aar 3 (75 MW), Sishen Solar Facility (74 MW), Aurora (9 MW), Vredendal (8.8 MW), Linde (36.8 MW), Dreunberg (69.6 MW), Jasper Power Company (75 MW), Boshoff Solar Park (60 MW) and Upington Solar PV (8.9 MW).

"Today is an important day because it is another opportunity for successful bidders and Eskom to enter into the requisite agreements that will see the continuation of the REIPPP programme," said Energy minister Dipuo Peters.

Unfortunately, the South African government has expressed concern over the suitability of the existing electricity grid to absorb the additional renewable energy.

Director General at the Department of Energy, Nelly Magubane, has called for the "strengthening of the grid in areas with abundant solar, wind and other clean resources for electricity generation" to cope with the new, more distributed, generation.