AfriCoast Engineers SA establishes renewable energy company

© chuyu – 123RF.com

John McGillivray, former project director at AfriCoast Engineers SA, has been appointed chief operating officer at AfriCoast Energy. "AfriCoast Engineers SA's growing footprint in the renewable energy sector over the past ten years led to the establishment of AfriCoast Energy to follow opportunities within the renewable energy and sustainability sectors.

"We are pursuing large, medium and small scale renewable energy projects with a collective capacity of over 2,000MW, working closely with energy developers, investors, the state and private landowners," McGillivray said.

Over the past decade, AfriCoast Engineers SA has played a catalytic role in bringing renewable energy projects online in the country. To date it has delivered projects collectively worth over R4bn for its local and international client base.

REIPPP successes

In the first stage of the Department of Energy's Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPP), the firm initiated three out of four of the successful Eastern Cape projects between 2011 and 2014, and a successful round three project.

Now, through AfriCoast Energy, it will continue to provide the expertise that has been at the core of renewable energy projects such as the MetroWind Van Stadens, Gibson Bay and Kouga wind farms, and the Dobbin, Brakpoort, Hopewell and Coega solar projects.

McGillivray, an engineering project management and consulting veteran of projects in England, South Africa, Australia and the United States spanning over two decades, said AfriCoast Energy has laid out an ambitious plan to continue pioneering new models in renewable energy development for government, communities and private sector entities.

"We were privileged to work with Amatola Green Power in pioneering embedded generation and energy trading in South Africa through an innovative trading model and a ground-breaking agreement with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality in the Eastern Cape. We would like to extend this concept to the remaining provinces of the country," he said.

Entire life cycle

McGillivray said his team will focus on the entire life cycle of renewable energy projects; from identification and permitting, through to construction and operation. This will provide much needed diversification and stability to the local and national energy supply, while enabling sustainable development, job creation and growth in South Africa.

"AfriCoast Energy also provides strategic sustainability planning to assist government departments with the implementation of low carbon and climate resilient interventions and to ensure that opportunities within the green economy are fully developed for the Southern African market," he said.

Chairman of AfriCoast Engineers SA, Venance Da Silva, said he is optimistic about the future and development of renewable energy in South Africa, and believes the Eastern Cape will lead the race over the next few years by sharing its expertise with the Southern African market. The province is set to become a leading wind and renewable energy hub in an effort to help the Department of Energy meet its procurement objectives of 3 725 MW of renewable energy.

"The formation of an entirely new company along with our existing track-record will enable us to play an important role in leading the country and continent's renewable energy renaissance. We are strategically positioned, drawing on an already established local green economy through the renewable energy component manufacturing and export hubs of Coega IDZ, the ongoing research of the local academic community and our own engineering track record in renewable energy projects," he said.