Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has published a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of a three MW solar-powered renewable plant at the Port of East London.
TNPA said in a statement on Friday that the plan to build the plant was in line with its strategy to include alternative and renewable sources of energy to manage energy costs and reduce emissions.
“This RFP aims to appoint a service provider to design, build, test, commission, operate and maintain the 3 MW photovoltaic (PV) plant, that has a battery energy storage system, at the Port of East London for a period of seven years,” said the ports authority.
“The plant's construction will include a grid-tied carport solar PV and rooftop plant system to generate the required capacity.”
The project is part of the ports authority’s renewable energy purchase programme to deploy approximately 100 MW of renewable energy across the country’s eight commercial seaports.
TNPA Acting Chief Executive, Phyllis Difeto, said the programme entrenched the authority’s contribution towards developing sustainable and cost-effective ports.
“The ports authority is actively working towards climate change resilience, mitigation, and adaptation by deploying cleaner and cheaper energy solutions in line with the Carbon Neutral Government Programme – which requires public entities to be carbon neutral by 2050 – and the International Maritime Organisation strategy, which advances safer economies for net zero emissions,” said Difeto.
As part of the programme, the Port of Ngqura is currently in the process of appointing a service provider to develop a 7 MW renewable plant, while the Amulet Group Consortium recently won the bid to construct a 20 MW plant in the Port of Richards Bay.
The RFP document can be accessed on the Transnet e-tender portal or via the National Treasury eTenders portal here.
