While many South African companies are turning to solar and wind power to reduce their environmental impact, property developer Growthpoint Properties will power its commercial buildings with hydroelectric energy. The company will purchase the electricity generated by Serengeti Energy, through the merchant Etana Energy.
Independent Power Producer (IPP) Serengeti Energy has reached a new milestone in the development of its Boston hydroelectric project, with the closing of its financing, following the launch of work at Clarens in the Free State province in October 2023. The project involves the construction of a run-of-river power plant, equipped with a 5 MW Kaplan turbine.
A project of the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme (LHWS)
According to Serengeti Energy, the plant, which will go into commercial operation in July 2025, will be capable of generating 30 GWh of electricity per year, using water from the Ash River. The facility “will reduce CO2 emissions by some 600,000 tonnes over a 20-year period. In addition, the project will create 100 jobs, most of them local,” says Anton-Louis Olivier, President and CEO of Serengeti Energy.
Read also- LESOTHO-SOUTH AFRICA: the AfDB lends $86 million for phase II of the LHWP water project
The Boston hydropower plant is being built as part of the Lesotho Highlands Water Scheme (LHWS), a transnational initiative to supply water to the Gauteng region of South Africa and generate hydropower for Lesotho.
Supported by a number of development partners, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project involves harnessing the waters of the Senqu/Orange River in the Lesotho highlands through the construction of a series of dams for the mutual benefit of both countries. LHWS-funded property developer Growthpoint Properties intends to use renewable energy sources to decarbonize its real estate properties, particularly in the commercial sector.
Jean Marie Takouleu