Scatec Solar completes solar project in Northern Cape

This project is the second utility scale solar PV plant Scatec Solar has completed under the South African Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Programme and the first of its two projects awarded in the second round.

The completion of the Linde project coincided with the announcement that South Africa has now connected more than half a gigawatt of utility-scale solar power, ranking it amongst the world's top ten countries harnessing renewable energy from the sun, according to figures released by Wiki-Solar.org.

Built on experience

"The completion of the Linde project is a milestone that confirms Scatec Solar's strong position as an integrated independent power producer," Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar, said. "I am very pleased with my team and partners who have been able to realize this complex project on time and on budget. We have built on the experience gained from our Kalkbult project, and have broadened this with our first installation of a solar tracker system which will increase the output from the plant considerably," Carlsen said.

As was the case with Scatec Solar's first South African project, the 75MW Kalkbult plant, the Linde project has been developed by Scatec Solar through its South African joint-venture company Scatec Solar SA.

The annual production will be approximately 94 million kWh per year, enough to cover the electricity demand of about 20,000 South African households. The power will be fed into the local grid and sold through a 20 year Power Purchase Agreement with the national utility company, Eskom. Harvesting solar power through this plant represents CO2 abatements of almost 80,000 tons per year.

Local value creation

The local value creation of the project is substantial. The construction of the plant has provided significant local job opportunities in addition to utilising local content to stimulate the nascent South African renewable industry. At Linde, Scatec Solar and sub-contractors have recruited and trained more than 350 employees at different levels ranging from technical skills to finance and project management. In peak periods, more than 340 employees - the majority from the local community - were working at the construction site.

A portion of the revenue from the plant as well as the project dividends will be earmarked for socio-economic development initiatives in the area around the project site. The primary focus will be on skills development, educational and health initiatives.