The 216-GWh-producing Sishen solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in the Northern Cape has officially connected to the national grid and will have the highest level of electricity output of all the operational solar PV plants in Africa, says Spanish stakeholder Acciona Energía.

The Sishen plant is 51% owned by Acciona and 29% owned by construction group Aveng, while broad-based black economic-empowerment company Soul City and a local community trust own 10% .

The plant will produce electricity equivalent to the consumption of around 100 000 South African households a year and has a peak capacity of 94.3 MW and 74 nominal MW.

The 250 ha facility has 470 solar trackers that support 319 600 PV modules and will send its output to State-owned power utility Eskom, through the power grid, under a long-term purchase and sale contract.

“The start-up of Sishen is a major milestone for us, as it is the biggest PV plant built by our company in the world and our first renewables facility in South Africa, a country in which we expect to increase our presence considerably. We are pleased to be contributing to compliance with South Africa’s objectives of achieving a more sustainable energy system, and creating jobs and added value in the country in the process”, says Acciona Energía CEO Rafael Mateo.

The Sishen plant would also prevent the emission of 208 000 t of carbon dioxide produced by coal-fired power stations.

Aveng Group CEO Kobus Verster said in a statement that Sishen was a significant milestone for Aveng and that it demonstrated the group’s ability to be involved across the energy and infrastructure value chain, including development, investment, financing and construction.

“As a group we have consistently demonstrated our capability of developing infrastructure that is integral to the backbone of economies. The experience gained to date in developing and constructing projects under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme in South Africa, places Aveng in a favourable position to grow its order book across the power and renewable-energy sector in South Africa and other selective markets,” he says.