Name and Location
Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) – second window, nationwide, South Africa.

Client
Department of Energy (DoE).

Project Description
The DoE chose 19 companies as the preferred bidders for the second window of the REIPPPP, which closed on March 5, 2012. The 19 projects represent 1 043.9 MW of capacity.

The preferred bidders include nine solar photovoltaic (PV) projects, seven onshore wind projects, two small hydropower projects and one concentrated solar power (CSP) project.

The solar PV projects named are:
• De Aar 3 (90 MW)
• Sishen solar facility (74 MW)
• Aurora (9 MW)
• Vredendal (8.8 MW)
• Linde (40 MW)
• Dreunberg (75 MW)
• Jasper solar PV project (75 MW)
• Boshoff solar park (60 MW)
• Upington solar PV (8.9 MW).

The combined capacity of the solar PV projects that progressed to the preferred-bidder stage was 417.1 MW.

The wind projects listed include:
• Gouda wind facility (135.2 MW)
• Amakhala Emoyeni Phase 1 (137.9 MW)
• Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm (94.8 MW)
• West Coast 1 (90.8 MW)
• Waainek (23.4 MW)
• Grassridge (59.8 MW)
• Chaba (20.6 MW).

The wind projects collectively represent 562.5 MW of capacity.

The preferred small hydropower bidders are:
• Stortemelk hydro project (4.3 MW)
• Neusberg hydroelectric Project A (10 MW).

The small hydropower projects represent a combined 14.3 MW of capacity.

The one CSP project named is the 50 MW Bokpoort CSP project.

Value
The second-round projects are collectively valued at nearly R28-billion.

Duration
The signing by the DoE and Eskom of the second tranche of power purchase agreements (PPAs) was concluded in May 2013.

Latest Developments
Solar PV projects:
Solar Capital’s inaugurated the second phase of its De Aar solar farm project on March 17, with De Aar 3 adding 90 MW of capacity to the project. This is in addition to the first phase of the project, the 85 MW De Aar 1 solar farm, which came on line in August 2014.

Acciona Energy South Africa and Aveng Africa’s R1.8-billion Sishen solar PV power project, in the Northern Cape, was put into service in December 2014.

Commercial operations started at Scatec Solar’s R1.1-billion, 40 MW Linde solar PV project, located near Hanover, in the Northern Cape, in July 2014. The construction of the company’s 75 MW Dreunberg power plant was completed in the third quarter of 2014.

Solairedirect Southern Africa’s Aurora and Vredendal projects, in the Western Cape, were completed in the fourth quarter of 2014.

SolarReserve’s Jasper solar PV project, in the Northern Cape, came on line in October 2014.

SunEdison’s Boshoff solar park involved an investment of about R1.8-billion.

Wind projects
Acciona Energy and Aveng’s Gouda wind park, in the Western Cape, officially entered operation in September 2015.

Construction started on Cennergi’s R3.9-billion Amakhala Emoyeni Wind Farm project, in the Eastern Cape, in August 2014.

The wind farm will comprise 56 Nordex turbines. The project should enter commercial operation by June.

Cennergi’s Tsitsikamma Community Wind Farm, in the Eastern Cape, will comprise 31 V112-3.0 MW Vesta wind turbines. Cennergi announced in December 2015 that the project was on track for commercial operation in March.

Aurora Wind Power’s West Coast 1 Wind Farm project, located 130 km north of Cape Town, reached commercial operation in June 2015.

Innowind’s Grassridge Wind Farm, in the Eastern Cape, started production in November 2014.

The company is also developing the Chaba wind energy project for which construction works were completed in June 2015.

The facility was declared fully operational in September 2015. Meanwhile, Innowind’s Waainek Wind Farm reached full commercial operation in January.

Hydro projects
Kakamas Hydro Electric Power’s 10 MW Neusberg project is a run-of-river small hydropower project under construction on the Orange river, near Kakamas, in the Northern Cape. The project achieved full commercial operation, and was officially launched in January 2015, on time and on budget.

Meanwhile, construction on NuPlanet’s 4.5 MW Stortemelk hydro project, in the Free State, is expected to be completed by May.

CSP projects
ACWA Power’s Bokpoort CSP project, in the Northern Cape, will have a total power generating capacity of 50 MWe net power output. The project was officially declared operational in March.

Key Contracts and Suppliers
Cennergi, Windlab Developments South Africa, Suzlon Energy, Vestas, EDF Energies Nouvelles, Mulilo Renewable Energy, Entura, NuPlanet, Aurecon, Eigenbau, ACWA, InnoWind, GDF Energy South Asia, Middle East and Africa, Acciona Energy, Aveng, SunEdison, SolarReserve, Iberdrola, Kensani Grou, Intikon Energy, Scatec Solar South Africa, and Solar Capital.

On Budget and on Time?
Too early to state.

Contact Details for Project Information
DoE departmental spokesperson Thandiwe Maimane, tel +27 12 444 4256, cell +27 82 450 8591, fax +27 86 581 8505 or email MediaDesk@energy.gov.za.
Companies involved in the REIPPPP second window Cennergi CEO Thomas Garner, tel +27 12 675 6669 or email Thomas.Garner@cennergi.com; or communications, tel +27 12 675 6655 or email comms@cennergi.com.
Windlab Developments South Africa, tel +27 21 701 1292 or +27 87 802 5999 or fax +27 800 981 222.
Suzlon Energy tel +91 20 670 22000.
Vestas, tel +45 97 30 00 00.
EDF Energies Nouvelles, tel +33 1 40 90 23 00 or fax +33 1 40 90 23 66.
Mulilo Renewable Energy, tel +27 21 934 5268 or email info@mulilo.com.
Entura, tel +61 3 6245 4500 or email info@entura.com.au.
NuPlanet project development Anton-Louis Olivier, tel +27 12 349 2944, fax +27 12 349 2944 or email al@nuplanet.co.za.
Aurecon, tel +27 12 427 2000, fax +27 86 556 0521 or email tshwane@aurecongroup.com.
Eigenbau, tel +27 11 244 8700, fax +27 11 465 2080 or email eigenbau@mweb.co.za.
TMC, operations and maintenance, tel +27 12 349 2944 or fax +27 12 349 2944.
ACWA, tel +966 1 283 5555 or fax +966 1 283 5500.
InnoWind, tel +27 41 487 2418 or fax +27 41 484 3038.
GDF Energy South Asia, Middle East and Africa, tel +27 10 612 0700.
Acciona Energy, tel +34 91 663 28 50 or fax +34 91 663 28 51.
Aveng, tel +27 11 779 2800.
SunEdison, tel +1 866 786 3347 or fax +1 443 909 7150.
SolarReserve, Andi Plocek, tel +1 310 315 2233 or email Andi.Plocek@SolarReserve.com.
Iberdrola director of external communication Jesús García López, tel +34 91 784 23 58.
Kensani Group, tel +27 21 674 0304 or fax +27 21 683 0577.
Intikon Energy, Stephen Donnelly, email Stephen.donnelly@intikon.com.
Scatec Solar South Africa tel +27 11 784 2777.
Solar Capital, tel +27 21 430 0796 or fax +27 21 430 0795/+27 86 538 8365.