Another clean energy generation facility has just been commissioned in South Africa. This time it is a 68 MWp photovoltaic solar park located in Leeudoringstad in the North West Province. The Bokamoso solar power plant consists of 236,580 panels installed on a 150-hectare site. The park, whose construction started in 2018, is capable of producing 177,660 MWh of electricity per year.
The electricity generated by the solar power plant is fed into the grid of the state-owned company Eskom under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA). The solar project is being developed by a consortium formed by the Ideas Fund (managed by Old Mutual), Reatile Solar Power, Phakwe Solar, Business Venture Investments and the Cicada Community Trust.
The concession was obtained from the South African government under the fourth tender window of the Renewable Independent Power Purchasing Program (REIPPP). This phase of the South African government’s clean energy program has resulted in several projects within the Rainbow Nation. This is the case of the Excelsior wind farm located in the Western Cape Province. With a capacity of 33 MW, the facility is owned by BioTherm Energy, an independent power producer (IPP) based in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Part of the revenue from the sale of electricity from the Bokamoso solar park will be used to finance a development program for communities living 50 km away from the facility. This local development program will affect several sectors including education, youth development, and health and food security. It will also benefit local micro, small and medium enterprises through the creation of a local resource centre for “skills training”.
Jean Marie Takouleu