Name and Location
De Aar photovoltaic (PV) solar plant project, Northern Cape, South Africa.

Client
The project is owned by a consortium, comprising Globeleq, Mainstream Renewable Power, Thebe Investment Corporation, The Rebuna Litsatsi Trust, Enzani Technologies and Usizo Engineering.

Project Description
The De Aar PV project is located outside De Aar on land owned by the Emthanjeni municipality, in the Northern Cape.

The project will cover an estimated 100 ha and will generate about 50 MW of clean renewable energy.

The facility will convert the sun’s energy into electricity using 167 580 PV panels and the electricity will be fed directly into the Eskom 132 kV distribution system. The plant will produce an estimated 85 458 MWh/y, enought to power about 21 200 houses a year.

The project will avoid carbon emissions of 82 040 t/y and save 162-million litres of water.

De Aar was among the first 18 solar PV projects, collectively representing 632 MW of capacity, to reach financial close in November 2012 as part of the South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (REIPPPP). A total of 28 renewables projects were selected.

Value
R1.5-billion.

Duration
The facility is expected to begin operating in mid-2014.

Latest Developments
Construction of the De Aar project began in December and is expected to continue for 16 months.

A consortium comprising Globeleq, Mainstream Renewable Power, Thebe Investment Corporation, the Rebuna Litsatsi Trust, Enzani Technologies and Usizo Engineering is developing the project.

The project is about 55% complete, with about 280 individuals currently on site installing panels, the associated infrastructure and systems.

Most of the employees are from the De Aar area and have been drawn from a database, established with the Emthanjeni municipality, which also owns the 100 ha property on which the project is located.

German mounting-systems specialist Schletter has installed the tables that will eventually hold 290 W- to 295 W-rated solar panels, totalling about 167 580 panels, which have been supplied by Suntech, of China.

Seventy-six Siemens inverters have also arrived in South Africa and were transported to site in early June, having already been installed by New Era Containers, of Johannesburg, into dust and water-resistant containers.

Project manager Antoniadis says the next milestones include installing the inverters, completing the Eskom substation and linking it to the 132 kV distribution system and installing a 50 MVA transformer.

Thereafter, field tests and plant commissioning will begin.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Siemens Southern Africa (engineering, procurement and construction contract), Schletter (solar panel mounting system), Suntech (solar panels).

On Budget and on Time?
The De Aar solar PV project site has reached peak construction and its developers are optimistic that the project is on track to meet all critical milestones ahead of its official commercial operation date of April 2014.

Contact Details for Project Information
Globeleq, tel +44 20 7 234 5400, fax +44 20 7 234 5486 or email info@globeleq.com.
Siemens Southern Africa media relations, Hulisani Nemaxwi, tel + 27 11 652 267 or email hulisani.nemaxwi@siemens.com.
Mainstream Renewable Power South Africa project manager Savva Antonaidis, tel +27 21 657 4040, fax +27 21 671 5665 or email savaa.antoniadis@mainstreamrp.com.
Thebe Investment Corporation, tel +27 11 447 7800, fax +27 11 447 5502 or email info@thebe.co.za.
Enzani Technologies, tel +27 11 835 1880, fax +27 11 835 1885 or email info@enzani.co.za.
Usizo Engineering, tel +27 11 609 7560 or fax +27 11 609-7518.
Schletter, tel +27 11 608 3606 or email info@schletter.co.za.
Suntech public relations and investor relations, Ryan Scott Ulrich, tel +86 510 8531 8654 or email ryan.ulrich@suntech-power.com