Global solar power company invests further in SA

SunEdison Inc – listed on the New York stock exchange and one of the world's largest renewable energy development companies –  announced yesterday (Thursday) that it had been awarded an 86-megawatts (MW) DC solar photovoltaic project in South Africa. The 86-MW award represents 20% of the total solar allocated to preferred bidders in this round.

The Droogfontein 2 solar power plant will be located 20 km south of Kimberly in the Northern Cape province and is expected to produce enough energy to power the equivalent of 45 000 South African homes. Eskom, the South African national utility, will purchase the solar energy under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA).

"Solar is a perfect solution to meet South Africa's growing energy needs," said Enrique Collado, SunEdison general manager for Africa. "Solar energy is cost competitive with fossil fuel energy, solar power plants can be brought on-line far more quickly than conventional power plants, and solar power plants are easily scalable, making them the perfect solution to help alleviate South Africa's constrained power system.