South Africa has commissioned its largest wheeling project, with SOLA Group supplying more than 200 MW of solar power to Tronox Mineral Sands via the Eskom network. The project has been commissioned in Lichtenburg, North West Province. Wheeling transfers electrical power through a utility’s transmission or distribution system between different service areas. The power will come from two solar plants recently completed by SOLA near Lichtenburg, generating 126 MW and 130 MW. The two installations feature more than 390,000 bifacial solar modules on single-axis trackers. Furthermore, the installations cover a total area of 430 hectares and generate about 593,721 MWh of energy per year, which, according to estimates, is enough to serve about 80,000 households. They are two of the first major solar projects to be built outside Northern Cape Province, long considered the best location in South Africa for solar projects.
The State of Affairs Regarding South Africa’s Largest Wheeling Project
South Africa’s largest wheeling project shows stellar promise in ensuring it positions South Africa as a powerhouse in renewable energy. “Not only is the SOLA project a breakthrough for the private energy market, but it has also played a crucial role in improving the livelihoods of the local community,” said Mpho Motho, Tronox‘s managing director for South Africa and KSA. “During the construction of the solar plants, over 700 local community members were employed.”
Ian Burger, managing director of technical at SOLA, added that the company had delivered the only operational utility-scale renewable wheeling plants in South Africa to date, totalling 268 MW, with another 325 MW now under construction. Energy wheeling holds tremendous value because it enables energy supply to urban areas from energy projects in outlying areas, such as a solar farm where the sun is most powerful and consistent. In other words, the power generated in a sunny area is distributed to an off-taker with fewer solar resources.
The Significance of the Mega Project
The significance of South Africa’s largest wheeling project is unprecedented, as it is expected to contribute immensely to the country’s power distribution. It is noticeable that, lately, South Africa has been placing a lot of priority on its power system. The implementation of the wheeling project aligns with the South African Government’s intent to open the electricity grid. This will facilitate independent electricity generators and consumers entering into bilateral agreements to optimize the cost and sustainability of energy, which has previously been difficult to achieve.
Furthermore, the project’s success could mean that more companies like Amazon will look to procure cleaner, independent power through the grid. “This project is the tip of the iceberg in terms of what the electricity picture in South Africa could look like,” says Chris Haw, SOLA’s Executive director. “Projects like this demonstrate the potential of a truly modernized electricity market where consumers can procure cleaner energy through state-owned grid lines whilst paying for their upkeep in the process,” he adds. SOLA will be responsible for developing the project and will build, own and operate the solar facility.
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