The Northern Cape, with its high sun exposure and wind energy potential, could be a central part of South Africa’s renewable energy complex, says minister in the presidency for electricity, Dr Kgosientsho Ramokgopa.
Ramokgopa was speaking during an event to mark the reaching of commercial operation of the Scatec ASA-owned 540MW solar and battery energy storage facility based at Kenhardt in the province.
The project, totalling 540 MW solar and 225 MW/1 140 MWh battery storage, is one of the world’s largest hybrid solar and battery storage facilities. The project was awarded by the Department of Mineral Resources and Energy under the technology-agnostic Risk Mitigation IPP procurement programme.
It has a total capex of approximately $1 billion and marks the largest commitment in Scatec’s history. The power will be sold under a 20-year PPA with Eskom. Scatec holds 51% of the equity, and H1 Holdings, the local Black Economic Empowerment partner, holds 49%.
Ramokgopa said construction of renewable energy facilities in the province should translate into “meaningful impact” on long-term job creation.
“[The] jobs and the opportunities that we are creating are transitional. At the height of construction [Scatec ASA] created 2 000 plus jobs, and it’s the nature of this development that once it gets to be operational, the jobs numbers taper down,” he said.
“But the people still remain here and they are still searching for opportunities so it’s important that we are able to have a new conversation - and this is not about Scatec, this is about how we see the Northern Cape as a major player in the renewable energy complex,” he said.
Provincial and national government are discussing how investments in the province can also have a meaningful, long-term impact through localisation and the creation of industry.
“It’s important that opportunities get to be domesticated here, and part of that conversation…is to see how best we can translate the Northern Cape as the renewable energy complex of the country, and on the back of that, create new industries,” Ramakgopa said.
– SAnews.gov.za
