Msenge Wind Farm in South Africa, the country’s first utility-scale private wind farm, is ready for construction near Bedford, Eastern Cape. This is after the developer of the project and its financier Rand Merchant Bank reached a financial close.
The developer is a consortium between the African Infrastructure Investment Managers (Aiim), Reatile Renewables, and African Clean Energy Developments (Aced). As co-sponsors with Aced, Aiim controls 62% of the equity in Msenge through its Ideas Fund and 38% of it through Reatile.
Msenge Wind Farm in South Africa to supply to Sasol’s Sasolburg site
The 69 MW project will supply renewable energy to Sasol’s Sasolburg site. Sasol and Msenge’s PPA is the first of several agreements the company plans to finalize in the months ahead.
Sasol previously stated that the renewable energy produced by Msenge will enable Sasol to generate green hydrogen. The produced green hydrogen would be delivered to clients to enable them to decarbonize their operations. Also, it could be used within Sasol’s own activities to produce sustainable products like ammonia or methanol.
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From a baseline of 2017, Sasol has pledged to cut the absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its South African activities by at least 30% by 2030. Renewable energy is viewed as a crucial tool for elevating Sasol’s GHG emissions. It is also expected to advance the company toward more sustainable production.
The first of multiple renewable energy projects by the developer
The ACED-IDEAS-Reatile Consortium aims to commence constructing a number of renewable energy projects in 2023. The Msenge Wind Farm in South Africa is their first=