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De Aar solar project on track, creating job opportunities

28th June 2013

By: Ilan Solomons

Creamer Media Staff Writer

  

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Work on the 50 MW photovoltaic (PV) De Aar solar power project’s PV tables and substations is progressing well, emerging-markets-focused power company Globeleq South Africa MD Mark Pickering tells Engineering News.

The project, located a few kilo- metres outside the town of De Aar, in the Northern Cape, on land owned by the Emthanjeni municipality, is currently in its construction phase.

The construction of the project’s roads are 50% complete, says Pickering.

“Manufacturing of long lead items, such as high-voltage transformers, medium-voltage transformers, inverters, inverter containers and switchgears, has started and the delivery of site equipment will take place soon,” he says, adding that the project is within budget and remains on schedule to start commercial operation in mid-2014.

Pickering points out that the challenges encountered to date have included dealing with the rocky terrain on which the project is being constructed.

“Work efforts have been doubled owing to these conditions. Instead of ramming the piles from the PV tables into the ground, we now have to drill, fill and then ram the piles into the ground,” he states.

The construction team has managed to overcome this challenge by working day and night, notes Pickering.

However, he stresses that, owing to the tight schedule, his team cannot afford to fall behind.

Globeleq told Engineering News in June that German mounting-systems specialist Schletter had installed the tables that would eventually hold 290-W- to 295-W-rated solar panels, totalling 167 580, which had been supplied by Suntech, of China.

Further, 76 Siemens inverters had also arrived in South Africa and were due to be transported to site in early June, having already been placed by New Era Containers, of Johannesburg, in dust- and water-resistant containers.

Project manager Savva Antoniadis also informed Engineering News in June that the next milestones included installing the inverters, the completion of the Eskom sub- station and linking it to the 132 kV distribution system, as well as the installation of a 50 MVA transformer. Thereafter, field tests and plant commissioning would begin.

The De Aar solar power project will cover about 100 ha and will generate clean renewable power by converting energy from the sun into electricity using the PV panels, which will feed directly into State-owned power utility Eskom’s 132 kV distribution system.

Pickering notes that, during the construction period, an average of 60 people will be employed to work on site.

“The number of jobs will vary from month to month depending on the stage of the construction on site. At the peak of construction, about 300 jobs will be created,” says Pickering.

The De Aar solar power project and its contractors will procure goods and services from the local community, where feasible.

“About 20 long-term jobs will be created to operate and maintain the facility,” he concludes.

Edited by Tracy Hancock
Creamer Media Contributing Editor

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